Change of Plans
by Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs
Summary: AU. Tony donated to a sperm bank on a dare in college. What if someone had chosen him, and wanted to meet him? Tate, some Jibbs.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter Tate story. I really like their relationship, and the episode 'Probie' inspired this-Tony donated to that sperm bank in college, but in the show, no one chose him. In this lovely AU, someone does.

Kate has not been on the team, or even close to NCIS. This takes place early season three; before 'Mind Games' (but Ziva has already arrived). Paula was Tony's partner, but she was killed in place of Kate in 'Kill Ari', Jenny is director, and Ziva is now Tony's partner.

I think that's everything. Now-enjoy what I'm going to call a 'slow burn', and please tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to NCIS or the characters.

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><p>Anthony DiNozzo was happy.<p>

He had coffee with lots of sugar, there was no hot case to be solved, and so far he hadn't been headslapped. So, it was looking like a good day for him.

Being Senior Field Agent, it meant that he was able to get away with just a little bit more than the others, most of the time. Like, the twenty minutes he'd spent flinging rubber bands at his new partner, Ziva David. Or the half an hour he'd spent winging paper footballs at the Probie, Tim McGee.

Which had all been stopped by a single glare from his boss, the legendary Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Thankfully, his boss had gone up to the director's office a few minutes ago, leaving the bullpen quiet as the three agents did paperwork-well, Tony pretended, the other two actually did their work.

"Do does anyone else think that there's something between Gibbs and the Director?" he asked to the otherwise silent bullpen. Ziva rolled her eyes, and Tim shook his head.

"Tony, stop. Gibbs will come down those stairs the second one of us answers, and then we'll all get in trouble," Tim said, and Tony scoffed.

"Sounds like someone's a McScaredycat," Tony said, and this time both Ziva and Tim rolled their eyes.

"Tony, you are infuriating," Ziva said, picking her pen back up and signing the paper in front of her. Tony shook his head, leaning back slightly in his chair.

Then, something happened that looked like it was about to make his day even better, if the very attractive women stepping off the elevator heading in his direction had anything to do with him.

"Hi…I'm looking for Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo?" she asked, a small piece of paper in her hands. She was a brunette, with an attractive figure and large brown eyes that caught the light. Tony stood and grinned, rounding his desk.

"You've found him," he said, and the woman smiled, showing a set of white teeth. "How can I help you?"

"Is there some place we could talk?" she asked, her voice slightly hesitant. Tony turned a touch concerned; he hoped this woman wasn't an ex-lover with bad news.

"Sure-I'll take you to the lounge," he said, one hand touching her back as he led her to the elevator. He cast a look back at Ziva, who raised an eyebrow. He shrugged before turning back to the woman in front of him.

He brought her to the lounge, pulling out a chair for her before sitting across from her, leaning back slightly.

"You know, I don't think I caught your name," Tony said, his eyes traveling over her chest; she was wearing an attractive dark blue v-neck shirt that gave him quite a view.

"Kate Todd," the woman said, and he nodded, smiling.

"Pretty name," he said, and she blushed. "Goes well with the pretty face."

"Well thanks," she replied, leaning forward slightly. "I'm here for a, uh…personal, reason."

Tony leaned forward, her words catching his attention. Well crap, that didn't sound good.

"I'm sorry, but have we met? I don't remember you, which is embarrassing if we have met," Tony said, trying to word it delicately and mostly failing.

"Oh, no, we've never met," Kate said, leaning forward and touching his hand lightly, her skin smooth against his. "Um, well, this is kind of embarrassing."

Oh man. This did not sound good.

"I'm here because…I'm using your sperm to get pregnant in the near future."

Tony was silent, confusion swirling through him as he looked at the woman in front of him. Sperm? Pregnant? What the hell was she talking about?

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice a touch softer than before and a little bit darker. Kate sighed, biting her lip as she looked at him.

"The sperm bank," she said, and then he remembered. The dare from college; his friend Cole had dared him to donate to the bank one drunken night, and he'd been drunk enough to go through with it. He hadn't even thought about it until now.

"Oh," he replied, and she nodded. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well-I figured you'd want to know that I'd chosen you," Kate said, her eyebrows contracting slightly as she looked at him. "I mean, you do know that that means that you'll be a father."

"Kate, let me be straight with you," Tony said, his elbows pressing into his knees. "I donated to that sperm bank on a dare. I haven't thought about it since you said anything about it. I never intended to know about any children that happened to be created using my sperm. That's why I didn't check the box."

"So you'd have no desire at all to know any child that could come from this?" Kate asked, her gaze hardening slightly. Tony's nod was curt, and Kate stood, smoothing out her khaki pants. "Well, I can see coming here was a mistake. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Agent DiNozzo. I'll just be leaving."

"Kate, wait," Tony said, standing with her and grabbing her arm. She stopped, her brown eyes full of unspoken emotion as she waited for him to continue. "I just-"

"Just what, Tony?" she asked, pulling her arm out of his grasp and folding her arms over her chest. "I just came because I thought you had a right to know that you would have a child. I'm sorry for giving you that courtesy."

"No, Kate, please," Tony said when she tried to leave again, and the desperation in his voice made her stop and sigh, turning back to him. "I just-this isn't something I do. Kids aren't…well, I've never really thought about them."

"Tony, you don't have to be involved at all," Kate said, her voice soft and her eyes unreadable. "I'd just tell you when it happened, what the gender was. You don't even have to know their name if you'd prefer not to."

"I don't…I just need time," Tony said, swallowing the hoarseness of his voice as he looked up, his hazel eyes conflicted. Kate bit her lip, swallowing lightly.

"You have nine months Tony," Kate said bluntly, and Tony winced slightly. Kate placed the paper she held in her hand on the table, pushing it towards him. "This is my number-if you make a decision, feel free to call. Then again, I guess I'll know your decision even if you don't."

And with that, Tony watched her walk away.

* * *

><p>He returned to the bullpen after sitting in silence for a few moments, his face darker than when he'd left. He sat down at his desk, and only a moment later he was searching for Kate Todd on Google.<p>

He chose the first result, and was rewarded with a picture of the woman he'd just been talking to. According to the website, she was from Virginia, 30 years of age, and taught art at an elementary school in Fairfax, Virginia. She was unmarried and came from a large family-three brothers and a sister, she being the middle, with two brothers older and one brother and her sister younger. Both of her parents were still alive, living in Norfolk.

She was clean cut, that much he could tell. And he knew she was beautiful-he'd been more than impressed when she'd walked into the bullpen.

He was pulled from his thoughts by his partner's voice.

"What did the woman want?" Ziva asked, concerned as to why he partner was no longer as happy as he had been when he'd left the bullpen. "Did she bring you bad news?"

But that only seemed to darken Tony's mood; he stood up and pushed away from his desk, his words muttered under his breath.

"Going for coffee."

Ziva watched him walk off in bewilderment, looking at Tim for help.

"Was it something I said?" she asked, and Tim shrugged.

"Ziva, with Tony you never know. For all we know, that woman that came to see him told him something that Tony deems catastrophic to his way of life," Tim said, tapping his pen against the paper on his desk. "We may never know, unless DiNozzo decides to tell us."

"Unless DiNozzo decides to tell us what?" Gibbs asked as he walked into the bullpen, coffee cup in hand.

"To be honest boss, we have no idea," Tim said, and Gibbs frowned, sitting down at his desk.

"Well, no sense worrying about it until it happens," he said, shrugging as he began to type on his computer. "Get back to work."

Somewhat reluctantly, Ziva and Tim returned to their work, waiting for Tony to return.

When he came back, he had no coffee in his hand, and he seemed angrier than before. No one said anything about his disappearance; he sat down in his chair, typing loudly on his keyboard.

When Gibbs finally let them go that night, he had Tony stay after, wanting a word with his clearly-frustrated Senior Field Agent.

"Tony, what's buggin' you?" Gibbs asked once the bullpen was clear. Tony was silent, his anger radiating from him.

"Nothing," he answered tersely after a moment, and Gibbs gave him a look that told him he didn't believe it. "It's personal."

"Then keep it out of work," Gibbs said, and Tony nodded curtly.

"Shouldn't be a problem," he answered, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He walked out of the bullpen without another word, heading for the elevator.

There was a six pack of beer waiting for him in his apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone that left a review-you're all wonderful. For those wondering; yes, I am crazy, for starting a story the second I finish another one. As someone who knows me pretty well said "you are not happy unless you're juggling a cazillion balls in the air". She's pretty much got me down pat ;)

I'm also going to be using a lot of Jenny/Tony friendship-I know that didn't really get explored until season four of the show, but I like it, so I'm going to be adding that in, along with Tony/Gibbs friendship. So, expect that in the future, along with some subtle Jibbs (nothing over the top on this one).

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.

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><p>Kids.<p>

Did he want a kid?

No, of course he didn't. He didn't have time for some snot-nosed, noisy brat. He was happy with his way of life; he met pretty girls-young girls-and he had a good time. He was happy.

But since meeting Kate Todd that afternoon, kids had been all he'd been able to think about. His kids. Their kids. His thoughts were so jumbled and twisted, he didn't know which was up and which way was done at this point. He'd been in a fog since he'd met Kate, and the alcohol he'd been drinking wasn't helping anything.

He'd just met this woman, so how was it that she could dominate his every thought? No woman had done that before-the only women he'd felt even relatively close to were Paula and Abby, and they felt more like family than anything else.

He couldn't get Kate off of his mind.

Opening his third beer, he took a large drink, the alcohol rushing directly to his head. He knew he shouldn't get drunk-he had work in the morning, and Gibbs would have his ass if he showed up hung-over. But he couldn't stop himself from downing the drink, setting the now-empty bottle on the kitchen counter next to the two other beer bottles and the half-empty vodka bottle.

Glancing at the kitchen table, he saw the crumpled piece of paper that held Kate's number, and he swallowed. Picking it up, he ran his fingers over her slanted writing, each number precise and exact, no mistakes or questions about them.

In a drunken moment, he picked up his phone, and squinted at the numbers, reading them in the dim light as he punched them in. Putting the ringing phone to his ear, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After a number of rings that he lost track of because his head began to throb, her voicemail picked up, prompting him to leave her a message in that no-nonsense voice he'd heard this afternoon. For a moment he hesitated, breathing heavily enough that it would pick up on the machine, before he spoke his next three words, all of them slightly slurred enough to notice.

"Kate…I'm sorry."

With that he snapped his phone shut, throwing it so that it landed on his couch, a few feet away. Leaning back against the counter, he shoved his hands through his hair, frustrated.

This woman was making him feel things he'd never felt before, and he stared at the phone on the couch, waiting for it to light up again. When it didn't, he shook his head and headed for his bedroom, slamming his door shut.

Maybe things would look less bleak in the morning.

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><p>When Tony awoke the next morning to his screaming alarm clock, however, the only thing he'd gained was a massive headache and a growling stomach. Glancing at his alarm clock he realized he'd overslept, and he swore loudly, getting out of bed and quickly showering before throwing on a dark blue button-up shirt over a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, running his hands briefly through his hair and brushing his teeth before grabbing his phone off the couch, shoving it into his pocket as he grabbed his keys.<p>

He stopped briefly for an extra large cup of coffee with extra sugar before arriving at the NCIS parking lot. Stepping out, he grabbed his backpack and tucked his keys into his pocket as he walked to the elevator.

When he arrived in the bullpen, only Ziva was there.

"Late night?" she asked, raising one eyebrow at him as she leaned back in her chair. He glared, throwing his backpack behind his chair and sitting down, opening his email on his computer. "Tony, what is wrong? You have not been the same since that woman came to see you."

"Nothing, Ziva," Tony answered, not taking his eyes off of the screen. For some reason, hearing Kate referred to as "that woman" sent a surge of inexplicable anger through him.

"Clearly, Tony, something is wrong," Ziva continued, and Tony looked at her, his hazel eyes flashing.

"Ziva, it's none of your business. I've had a tough few weeks-I lost my partner, and it hasn't been the same without Paula. Pardon me for having a bad day," Tony said, standing up and grabbing a folder off his desk. "I'm bringing this up to the Director. Tell Gibbs where I am."

Shoving his chair back he stormed to the elevator, wanting a minute to collect himself before he spoke to the Director.

It had taken some time to get used to having Jenny Shepard as their new director after years of Morrow, but so far he'd liked what he'd seen. She was beautiful-thick crimson curls and pretty green eyes, and while they'd met under the not-great circumstances of Paula's death, he was impressed by her.

Well, that, and the fact that there were unanswered questions about her past with Gibbs, which made everything that much more interesting about her.

Reaching the Director's office, he stopped by Cynthia's desk.

"Is she in yet Cynthia?" he asked, trying to put a cheerful note in his voice, but mostly failing. Cynthia nodded, and he offered her a half-smile as she pushed the intercom button. He grasped the door handle and pushed, entering the director's office, finding Jenny sitting at her desk, looking up at him expectantly.

"Good morning Special Agent DiNozzo," she said, slipping her glasses off of her nose and setting them on the desk in front of her. "How can I help you?"

"I have a report on the Anderson case," Tony said, indicating the folder he held in his hands. Jenny nodded and he stepped closer, setting the folder on her desk, which she took and set on the pile of files already on her desk. She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Something on your mind, Agent DiNozzo?" Jenny asked, and Tony sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he looked anywhere but her. "I'm going to take that as a yes, then."

"Is everyone talking about me?" Tony asked partly under his breath, shaking his head.

"Only the ones that care about you Tony," Jenny said, and the use of his first name alerted Tony to the seriousness of her voice.

"Just having a bad day Director," Tony said, pushing away from the help being offered. "Nothing to be worried about."

"If you say so," Jenny said, bending her head forward slightly as she picked up her glasses and slid them back on. "Could you send Agent Gibbs up when you see him for me? I need a word with him."

"Of course ma'am," Tony said with a nod before slipping out of the office, for some reason feeling a touch better than when he'd first walked in.

He walked back to the bullpen down the stairs, finding Gibbs and McGee at their desks with Ziva.

"Director wants to see you Gibbs," Tony said as he sat at his desk, surprised to find an unfamiliar address in his email, received only moments after he'd left his desk. Gibbs nodded before standing, heading up to Jenny's office while Tony clicked open the email. It was short, only six words, and as he read it he realized there was no question as to who it was from.

_Next time, don't call me drunk._

Mentally cursing, he shut his email and laid his head on his desk, closing his eyes.

It was gonna be a long day, if the start was any indication.

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><p>Up in the Director's office, Gibbs was having one of the longest staring contests he'd ever had with an ex-lover, not that he'd had many.<p>

"You needed to see me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he sank into one of the chairs at Jenny's conference table, turning to face her.

"I saw Tony this morning," she replied, her hands steepled under her chin as she looked at him over her glasses. His interest rose as he sat forward slightly, waiting. "I agree, something is wrong. But he isn't budging Jethro."

"I know Jen," Jethro said, running a hand down his face.

"He may just need time, Jethro," Jenny said gently, dropping her hands to the desk and picking up a pen, playing with it. "Sometimes loss hits people at different times. He may just be feeling Paula's loss more than before."

"I don't think that's it," Jethro said, shaking his head. Jenny raised an eyebrow, sitting back in her chair.

"What's your theory?" she asked, an amused smirk sliding onto her face. He stood, walking towards the door and grasping the handle.

"That's need to know," he replied, his face becoming unreadable for a moment before he left the office, leaving Jenny hiding a sad smile and closing her eyes, wishing desperately that things could be easier.

It was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I've pulled in a summer job, so updates will slow. Hopefully I'll be able to stay with at least once a week.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or the characters of it.

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><p>The team caught a case that morning, and so Tony's mind was occupied with that for the next three days as they tracked and then caught a serial killer.<p>

He was the only one in the bullpen, finishing up his paperwork when Gibbs stopped by his desk, his coat in his hands.

"Tony."

If he wasn't already worried by his boss stopping by his desk, using his first name alerted him to the seriousness of the conversation.

"Yeah boss?" he asked, setting his pen down and looking up, waiting.

"You figure out what was buggin' you a few days ago?" Gibbs asked, and Tony's eyes widened slightly at the question. Why was Gibbs asking?

"Not really," Tony answered, scratching the back of his neck. Gibbs' eyes were dark and unreadable, but Tony saw them flicker slightly, and wondered why his boss was so concerned about his resolution of his problem.

"This about a woman, Tony?" Gibbs asked, and Tony's shoulders stiffened.

"I don't really see how this has anything to do with you boss," he said, his voice tight.

"Well, normally women don't affect your work performance, and I don't have to get involved with it," Gibbs answered, and Tony winced slightly. "DiNozzo, get your head on straight, and figure out if this woman is worth all the trouble you've caused yourself."

With that he walked away, pulling his coat on and stepping onto the elevator. Tony let out a low groan, smacking his forehead lightly.

"Why did this have to happen to me?" he asked to the empty bullpen in a low voice, not expecting an answer.

Shaking his head, he finished up the last few sentences of his report before turning off his computer and heading for the elevator, ready to go home.

When he arrived there he changed into shorts and a t-shirt and stretched out on his couch, an episode of Magnum PI on the television as he ate from a leftover carton of Chinese take-out. He swirled the lo mien noodles around his fork, lost in his thoughts.

Was thinking about Kate changing his work performance? He hadn't noticed it, but, well…it made sense. He had been a little off his game lately.

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the numbers until he found hers. He swallowed hard, remembering the last call. Should he even risk it again?

_Next time, don't call me drunk._

Well, she had said next time, and he wasn't drunk, so…

He pressed send and then held the ringing phone to his ear. He waited, and then he heard the slightly-clipped feminine tone.

"What do you want Tony?"

He was slightly taken aback by the hostility-then again, maybe he wasn't.

"Kate…I-I called to apologize. For what I said, and…for calling you when I was drunk," he said, scratching his head as he fumbled for words. A first for him, at least with a woman. There was a static-y silence, and he wondered if she'd hung up. "Kate? You still there?"

"I'm here," she answered shortly, but not with as much anger as before. "Do you need something else, or is that all?"

"Come on Kate, I'm trying here!" Tony said, running his free hand through his hair in frustration. On the other end she sighed, her voice sounding tired as she spoke.

"Tony, I get that, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to forgive you with a snap of my fingers!" she replied, and Tony heard a cushion creak as she sat down, he was assuming on a sofa. He pressed his elbows into his knees as he leaned forward, hanging his head in his hands, his phone still pressed to his ear.

"Can I see you?" he asked after a few moments of silence, tension thick between them, even over the phone.

"I don't know if that's a good idea Tony," Kate answered, and he could practically picture her pinching the bridge of her nose as she spoke.

"Please Kate. I need…I need to fix this," he said quietly, his voice practically begging her to give him a chance. She sighed, the sound loud over the phone.

"Tony, I don't know if you can fix this. I didn't come to see you so that you would change the person you are," she replied, the words cutting him to the core. "I told you already, you don't have to even involve yourself. Just…forget you ever met me, alright? I can't take this right now."

With that she disconnected the call and Tony snapped his phone shut, throwing it across the room and hanging his head in his hands. He cast one glance at the fridge but didn't move to get a drink, remembering the hangover he'd had and the call he'd made that had probably ruined everything.

Instead he grabbed his gym stuff and his keys and went to go run a few miles and lift some weights.

Maybe, if he ran far enough, he could put these past few days behind him.

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><p>He arrived at work the next morning before anyone else was there and sat at his desk, pulling up a search program. Running a more in-depth search on Caitlin Todd, he got her home address and number, and stored them away, intending to do some more thinking before he did anything rash.<p>

Realizing he hadn't spent nearly enough time with a favorite, lovable Goth forensic scientist, he headed for Abby's lab. He arrived in the doorway just as she was unlocking it, and her face lit up when she saw him, and the red and white cup he held of her favorite drink.

"Tony!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck, nearly hitting him in the face with her lunch box. "What brings you down to the lair of Sciuto?"

"Just wanted to see my favorite mistress of the dark," Tony answered, but Abby easily picked up on his distraction.

"Someone looks like they need to talk," she said, leading him into the lab and into the room that held her desk, stopping first to drop her lunch box in the freezer. She sat Tony down in the chair behind her desk as she took off her coat and hung it up, along with her hat. "Tony, time to spill. What's on your mind?"

"Just…personal stuff," Tony said, trying to shrug it off, but Abby wouldn't have it.

"Not gonna cut it DiNozzo," she said, shaking her head as she folded her arms. "Let's go, out with it."

"I donated to a sperm bank in college on a dare," he said after a moment of silence which consisted of Abby tapping her foot and sucking on her Caf-Pow! straw. Her eyes widened at his words, and she pulled the straw from her mouth as she choked slightly on the drink.

"Oh," she replied, clearly struggling for words-which for Abby, was rare. "Is there a problem?"

"Not necessarily," he answered, shaking his head. "Someone-a woman, wants to use what I donated to get pregnant. And, well…she came to see me-to tell me, that is. And, well…things haven't exactly gone great since then."

"Well, Tony, what did you say to this woman?" Abby asked, her brow furrowing as she mulled everything over. "And does anyone else know this?"

"No one else knows, and I'd prefer if it stayed that way," Tony said, and Abby nodded, her eyes widening again. "And, well, I told her the truth. I hadn't thought about kids and I needed time."

"Oh, well, there's the problem, since I'm guessing she doesn't want to talk to you and that's what's got you all upset, right?" Abby asked, her hands falling to her hips. "And what you say won't leave this room."

"Abby, I just need time to think, and, you know, wrap my head around all of this," Tony said, rubbing his forehead. "I wish Kate understood that."

"Well, Kate," Abby said, now able to put a name to Tony's problem. "May just need some time herself."

"I hope so," Tony said, standing. "She's a pretty incredible woman, I won't lie. I want to get her know her better."

"Give her time Tony," Abby said, wrapping her arms around him in a classic Abby-hug. "Just give her time."

So, give her time he would.

* * *

><p>So, he waited almost a month.<p>

Three and a half weeks later he tried calling her, and there was no answer, all three times he tried.

Deciding that that was worth a risk of bodily harm on his end, he dug out the address he'd found and drove there, hoping he was doing the right thing. He pulled up to a nice-looking house with a single car in the drive way, and got out after turning off the car. He walked up the walk way to the front door, and after taking a deep breath, he knocked.

After about ninety seconds of nothing, the door was opened, and Kate looked up at him, her eyes red. It looked like she'd been crying, and he swallowed.

"Tony?" she asked, her voice thick, and for some reason, seeing him made more tears come. "Why are you here? How did you…how did you get my address?"

"Federal Agent?" he asked, gesturing slightly with his arms. "I have access to that kinda stuff. And I'm here…because I've called three times and there was no answer. I was worried."

"Well, I guess you can come in, even if you are acting kind of stalkerish," Kate said, opening the door wider.

Tony stepped inside, and it wouldn't be until later that he realized just what he was getting himself into by stepping over the threshold.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm camping all next week, so I'm hoping to update at least once more before I leave-keep your fingers crossed! With this chapter I need you all to remember that this is an AU story-please and thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters.

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><p>Tony stepped over the threshold and turned as Kate shut the door, shifting his weight nervously as he waited for her to speak.<p>

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked as she turned around, wiping at her eyes again as she walked.

"No, I'm fine," Tony said, cautiously following her through the front hallway of her house into the living room. Kate sat on one end of a long white couch, and Tony sat next to her, but left about two feet of space between them, so he didn't crowd her.

"Why are you here Tony?" she asked after a moment, her voice tired and defeated-sounding. He swallowed, wringing his hands as he spoke.

"Because you haven't left my mind for the past month Kate," he answered, and his voice came off hoarser than he'd intended. "I can't stop thinking about you."

"What, am I supposed to apologize for that or something?" Kate asked, her tone slightly biting.

"No, just-give me a chance, Kate," Tony replied, a note of begging slipping into his voice. "I've never done this before-I've never felt this way about someone."

Kate's brown eyes studied him, clearly wondering how truthful he was being. They were still red, and he was certain she'd been crying.

"You've been crying," he said after a moment, and she turned her head away from him, looking at the floor as she clearly tried not to cry again. "Why?"

"It didn't work," she whispered after a long moment of silence, her voice cracking slightly on the last word. "The procedure. It didn't take."

"Oh," Tony said, awkwardness filling the room. "Can you…try again?"

"I don't have the money to try again," Kate said, shaking her head. "This was my one shot, and it didn't work."

"Kate, why are you going this route?" Tony asked, genuinely curious. "Why haven't you found a guy-you seem like the kind of woman that receives male attention."

"Oh, so now I'm some kind of whore?" Kate asked, her tone biting as she grabbed a tissue from the end table and wiping her eyes.

"That's not what I'm saying," Tony ground out through clenched teeth, his anger beginning to burn in his blood. "I just-"

"I know," Kate interrupted, her voice no longer holding hostility. "I was engaged, at one point. Thought I had everything I could ever want. I didn't realize how wrong I was."

"What happened?" Tony asked when she went silent, waiting for her to continue.

"My fiancé, Kyle, cheated on me with my cousin," Kate answered, raising sad, chocolate brown eyes to his. "And when I was finally able to forgive him and try to move on with our life, he was killed by a drunk driver when he was crossing the road a week before our second attempt at a wedding. After that, I gave up on a happily-ever-after ending. I just wanted a child, and this seemed like the only way."

"And it didn't work, so you've given up," Tony concluded, and Kate nodded, leaning back against the cushions of the couch and closing her eyes, wrapping her arms around her abdomen.

"I don't even have someone I go to for casual sex; I haven't had a relationship in three years, since I tried dating a year after Kyle was killed," she said, opening her eyes and shaking her head, a bitter laugh making its way through her lips. "So I guess I'll just wind up being an old maid with twenty cats and huge Coke-bottle glasses."

"You don't have to be," Tony said, his voice heavy with seriousness, and Kate sat up, wrinkling her brow in confusion as she regarded him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, sighing softly as she tried to understand what he was talking about.

"You don't have to be an old maid with twenty cats and ugly glasses," Tony said, raising his head to meet her gaze, his hazel eyes darkened.

"Tony…"

"You were going to use my sperm anyway. Why not do it the natural way?" he interrupted, and Kate's breath caught in her throat as her eyes locked with his. She swallowed, trying to answer, but all she could see were his deep hazel eyes and her heart hammered in her ears.

"You would do that?" she asked in a mere whisper, unable to tear her gaze away from him. He slid closer to her on the couch, so close that she could see the green and gold flecks in his hazel irises; she could see the different tones in his sandy blond hair; so close that she could smell the hazelnut coffee on his breath.

"For you?" he asked, his presence almost overpowering her senses. His eyes took on a conflicted look, a look that shook her to the core.

She held her breath as she waited for his answer-it came in the form of only one word.

"Yes."

She let out a shaky breath and was about to respond when suddenly his lips were on hers; they were warm and soft and moist, and she found herself kissing him back before her brain could even rationally think. Her hands threaded into his hair as he laced his behind her back, his body hovering over hers on the couch.

Every part of their bodies were touching; his warm, welcome weight pinned her to the white cushions, and as his lips left hers to travel from her face to her neck, she couldn't find it within herself to remember why this was such a bad idea. His hair was soft in between her fingers, and his hands traveled over her back and hips with skilled hands.

When his mouth went lower and his hands moved higher, she made a decision.

"Bedroom," she said, the word punctuated with a gasp as his tongue worked on her collarbone. He looked up, his hazel eyes even darker than before, and nodded, getting off of her with some difficulty; she felt a brief flash of pride at the fact that she could do this to a man she barely even knew.

He helped her stand and she started for the stairs at the end of the room, but Tony had no intention of letting her get there easily. His hands found her waist and his lips found her neck as they started to ascend the stairs, causing Kate to let out a soft moan, turning around and pulling his lips to hers, climbing the stairs backwards as his hands moved to her ass and then her thighs.

When they reached the top of the stairs he pressed her against the nearest wall, kissing her for all he was worth. She used the wall for leverage to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist, and he cupped her upper thighs, pressing her firmly into the light blue wall of her hallway.

"Second door on the right," Kate breathed in his ear, and he pulled away from the wall, supporting her as she kissed his neck, his ear, his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the tanned skin underneath.

He walked through the doorway and headed straight for the queen-sized bed, depositing Kate in the middle of it as he went for his belt buckle. Kate watched him with darkened eyes, her shirt half-unbuttoned and revealing a white lace bra.

When Tony's shirt was off and he was clad only in his boxers he climbed onto the bed next to her, the mattress dipping with his weight. His fingers easily undid the last three buttons and slid it off of her shoulders while his fingers ran teasingly along the edge of her bra and his lips found the swell of her breast.

His fingers dipped beneath the waistband on her pants, sliding them off of her easily and tossing them next to the foot of the bed. He rolled her underneath him and dipped his head to find her lips, his hands traveling over her curves as hers settled on his neck.

Slowly, the last of their clothes were shed, and they dangled over the precipice together, each holding their breath as this song cresendoed towards its resolution-all that remained was them. For once, Tony was hesitant-but Kate set him straight.

"Please Tony," she whispered, raising her darkened brown eyes to his.

With that, he took the plunge.

* * *

><p>When Kate awoke a few hours later, her sheets were cold and her head hurt. Sitting up and clutching her blankets to her chest, she rubbed at her eyes and looked around, not seeing Tony anywhere.<p>

This had not been a good idea. She had been an idiot for letting him into her house, let alone her bed. And now, she was probably just another notch in his bedpost.

So for the second time that day, Kate buried her face in her hands and cried.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I received a rather nasty anonymous review last chapter, and I'd like very much to respond to it here. So, 1) Learn to spell like you're not a third grader, alright? I take no stock in someone who has such atrocious spelling. 2) If you don't like the story concept, then don't read it. Fanfiction has thousands of stories-go read something else. 3) Don't come back, please. If you want to flame, fine, just realize that it's incredibly disrespectful, and the fact that you didn't even put a name down kind of makes you a coward.

To those that left kind reviews, I very much appreciate them. So little faith in our young Tony last chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.

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><p>Kate was just blowing her nose when Tony walked into the bedroom, two cups of coffee and a bag from a coffeehouse just around the corner in his hands, whistling under his breath.<p>

"I don't know how you feel about eating in bed but I went and got coffee and bagels since you have no coffee whatsoever in your machine, and I didn't know where to look," Tony said, but stopped when he caught sight of her red eyes and tissues. "What's wrong?"

"I…I th-thought you'd left," Kate said, hiccupping slightly as she wiped at the falling tears.

"Just for food," he offered weakly, holding up the bag. "I thought I'd be back before you woke up. I wanted to surprise you."

"That's sweet Tony," Kate said, sitting up slightly, pulling the blankets more firmly around her chest. Tony's eyes shone with amusement, and one of his eyebrows rose as he regarded her.

"Want some clothes Kate?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes, tucking her hair behind one ear.

"Yes," she answered, watching as he tossed her bra and panties in her direction, followed by her blouse and pants. "Thank you."

"Hungry?" Tony asked, waving the bag again. Kate nodded, and she led him downstairs, taking the coffee her offered her as they walked. "I didn't really know what you like, so I just got plain bagels, figured we could just put what we wanted on them here, and regular coffee."

"I love plain bagels, and regular coffee is just fine," Kate answered, her fingers wrapping around his upper arm as they walked, enjoying the way his muscular bicep felt underneath her fingertips.

"Well good," Tony answered, grinning at her. "We're gonna get along just fine."

Kate laughed as she pulled out both plain and strawberry cream cheese from her fridge. Then, she showed Tony where the coffee was located before toasting their bagels and handing his over, which he then smothered with plain cream cheese. They were enjoying their food quietly when Tony's phone rang, disrupting their conversation.

"DiNozzo," he answered, one of his hands tracing patterns on Kate's upper thigh, making her bite her lip and glare lightly at him. "Where? Alright…I'll be there in twenty."

Hanging up the phone, he pulled Kate closer to kiss her, her mouth tasting like coffee and strawberry cream cheese. Her hands wound into his hair, keeping him their as both of his hands rested on the top of her thighs.

"Got a case," he answered when he pulled away, slightly breathless.

"When will I see you?" she asked, her hands going to cup her coffee cup as he stood, placing his phone into his pocket.

"Don't know; I'll call," he said, leaning forward to brush another kiss over her lips, and when he pulled away her teeth sank into her lower lip, her eyes fluttering slightly. Kate could only nod as he walked away, the door thudding loudly as he closed it behind him. Closing her eyes she rested her head against the back of her chair, feeling relatively content.

Now, the only thing that remained to be seen was whether or not everything would work out in her favor, like she was desperately hoping it would.

* * *

><p>When Tony arrived at the crime scene twenty five minutes later, he was lighter than he had been for the past four weeks.<p>

"Does Tony seem…different to you?" Ziva asked Tim quietly as they searched for evidence, taking photos of what they found. Tony was whistling quietly to himself as he took pictures of the body, his sunglasses reflecting the bright sunlight as he worked.

"He seems almost…normal," Tim answered, nodding slightly as he snapped a photograph. "I wonder what happened."

"Maybe he moved on," Ziva replied with a slight shrug, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "It has been a month, after all."

"I don't know, I mean, this is DiNozzo we're talking about," Tim said, pausing for a moment. "Maybe he just found some girl to sleep with, to make him forget about everything."

"What's that I hear Tim?" Tony asked, coming up behind them. "You found a girl to sleep with? I am very impressed Elflord, what's her name? It wouldn't happen to be Abby again, would it?"

"Tony, that was a long time ago," Tim replied, gritting his teeth slightly. "And I'm not talking about myself, DiNosy."

"Oh. You think Gibbs found someone?" Tony asked, lowering his voice as he cast a glance at the older man, who was questioning their witness. "I'm telling you, it's the Director. I'd bet a month's salary on it."

"Tony, why do you insist on saying that Gibbs and Director Shepard are sleeping together?" Ziva asked, exasperated. But, underneath the surface, she was glad to have her lighter, easy-to-gossip partner back. It had not been the same without him.

"Because, Officer David," Tony replied, stretching out the last syllable of her name dramatically, making her roll her eyes at his immaturity. "It just so happens to be true."

"What just so happens to be true DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he came over, and the agent paled slightly.

"That…this man was clearly brutally murdered," Tony covered, making a face at Ziva and Tim from behind Gibbs' back. "Boss, we done here yet?"

"You, DiNozzo, can wait for Ducky and Palmer to get here, and then drive back with them," Gibbs answered, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "McGee, David, take the truck back to headquarters. I'll meet you there."

"Yes Gibbs," Ziva said, taking the keys that were tossed towards them with a grin, making Tim groan softly under his breath.

"I'm going to die," Tim said as he followed her to the truck. Gibbs' smirk grew into a full blown one as he walked to the sedan, Tony grumbled under his breath as he looked at the body near his feet, glaring slightly.

"You had to die today?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. "I was having a good time with Kate-no more yelling good time, I mean, which I thought was never gonna happen- and you had to go and die and ruin it."

He continued to grumble quietly to himself until Ducky and Palmer arrived, and then he helped them where needed before driving back to the agency.

When they arrived back at headquarters Tony parted ways with Ducky and Palmer and headed back to the squad room, where Gibbs sent him and Ziva down to see Abby while he went up to see the Director.

Tony and Ziva arrived in Abby's lab to find the Goth listening to eardrum-bursting music, going through the evidence that had been brought down to her.

"Abby!" Tony called, and the forensic scientist turned, lighting up when she saw them.

"Tony!" she cried as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "And you brought Ziva!"

The Israeli's eyes widened at the arms that were thrown around her, patting the Goth's back slightly awkward.

"Abs, I think you're choking her," Tony said in amusement, and Abby released Ziva, who shot Tony a look that was half gratitude, half murder. "Got anything for us?"

"Nothing yet," Abby replied, turning back to her computer. "Just that he was most likely drunk, if the bottles that were surrounding the body were emptied by him, and there was some cocaine residue on some of the bottles."

"Drunk and high? Never a good combination," Ziva remarked, and both Tony and Abby nodded.

"Once I get the samples from Ducky I'll test to confirm," Abby said, and both agents nodded.

"Call us when you've got something," Tony said, and as both he and Ziva turned to leave, Abby grabbed his arm, her eyes telling him they needed to talk. He motioned for Ziva to go without him, and she headed for the elevator with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"You seem different," Abby said, folding her arms over her chest. "Did you work things out with Kate?"

"In a sense," Tony said, scratching the back of his neck as he shifted his weight.

"Tony, do not tell me you slept with her," Abby said, her eyes widening as she regarded him. When he didn't contradict her, she slapped him on the back of the head, shaking her head at his glare. "DiNozzo, I wish you'd think with that head instead of the other one which you clearly are."

"Abby, the procedure didn't take," Tony said, rubbing his head as he continued to glare. "I didn't just sleep with her to have sex."

"Oh."

Abby's face was unreadable, her green eyes dark as she scanned his face. Tony waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"Abs, it's complicated," he said gently, shrugging one of his shoulders. "I don't know everything yet, I'm still working on figuring everything out; but I do know that I want to do this right."

"Well, it's a start," Abby conceded, nodding slowly. "Just try not to hurt her, Tony."

"I won't do it on purpose," Tony said, swallowing hard. Abby nodded and then shooed him out of her lab, pushing him towards the elevator. Standing in the elevator, he thought back to Abby's last words.

He really didn't want to hurt Kate; he could only hope he could follow through.

* * *

><p>Gibbs walked into Jenny's office after bypassing Cynthia, letting the door slam behind him. She looked up from the file she was reading, her emerald green eyes flickering as she caught sight of him.<p>

"Can I help you, Special Agent Gibbs?" she asked, slipping her glasses off of her nose and setting them on her desk. Jethro walked directly over to her couch, sitting down and kicking his feet up onto her coffee table. "Sure, make yourself comfortable."

"DiNozzo is back to normal," he replied, and Jenny turned her chair, sitting back slightly as she regarded him.

"And that's a good thing, isn't it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. She was still confused as to why he'd walked into her office and taken up residence on her couch.

"Yesterday, he wasn't. Today, he is," Jethro replied, shaking his head. "I wanna know what changed."

"Ever thought of just asking him?" Jenny asked, and his look said it all. "Of course you have, but that would be too easy, wouldn't it?"

He let out a heavy sigh, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Jenny softened slightly and went to sit in the seat next to him, touching his knee gently, almost surprised when he didn't pull away.

"When DiNozzo's ready, he'll tell you, Jethro," Jenny said softly, watching as his eyes rose to meet hers, tilting her head slightly. "I know he's important to you, so just let him come to terms with what he needs to, and I'm sure he'll open up to you when he's made up his mind over whatever it is that's been weighing him down."

Jethro seemed to think over her words for a moment before nodding, his hand covering hers on his leg and squeezing gently. His eyes lightened, and for a moment six years melted away from his face, and her heart beat faster as their eyes locked.

"Thanks Jen," he said softly, and she nodded, her words unable to escape her throat. "Gotta go solve my case."

Jenny watched him get up and walk away, her hand still tingling from where his had touched hers. Sighing, she returned to her desk and slipped her glasses back on, opening her file again. Drowning herself in her work would be the only way she'd be able to not rethink that moment for the rest of the day.

And she couldn't afford to let herself relive a moment she couldn't let happen again-not when she sat in this chair and held this office. Even if it meant she had to get re-breaking the slowly healing fractures in her heart.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I am SO sorry for how long it took to update this-I have had block, I took a vacation, and work sucks up my energy. I think my updating speed will drop to about once a week, and I do hope I can keep that up. We shall see!

I know that this is a Tate story, but, well, as most of my readers know, I'm a total Jibbs whore (as is one of my readers-yes, you know who you are ;) this is to put a smile on your face like you did mine on Monday night, which was when this was supposed to be up), so, well, forgive the major Jibbs moment if that's not your thing. It's in the middle of a Tate sandwich (don't hate the ending-never fear, for there is still more to come in this story!).

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.

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><p>The case they were working on was going great-until another body was found.<p>

Then the team went into overdrive, trying to figure out who had killed their Marines before another one was found dead. Tony's focus was diverted from Kate, and in the two days it took to catch the killer, it completely slipped his mind to call her.

After his report had finally been written and he could escape to his apartment to shower and eat, he was just stepped out of his bathroom, a towel slung around his waist, when his phone rang. Muttering a curse he located it in the pocket of his jeans, he held it to his ear, annoyance in his tone as he answered.

"Yeah, DiNozzo."

"Um…Tony?" Kate's voice replied hesitantly after a pause, and Tony took a deep breath, quelling his annoyance.

"Sorry, thought it was Dispatch with another case," he said, his voice calmer.

"Oh," Kate replied, her voice quiet, and Tony wished he could see her face, so that he knew what she was thinking. "I was wondering how you were. I haven't heard from you in a few days."

"Yeah, I know, the case got nasty," Tony answered, scratching the back of his neck as he searched for clothes to pull on. "You okay?"

"If that's your way of asking if I'm pregnant yet, it's too soon to tell," Kate replied, and Tony could hear the wry smile in her voice, his own face breaking into a half-smile.

"Nah, I'm not that stupid," he answered, his smile growing at her laugh. "Just wanted to know how you're doing."

"Missing you," Kate answered honestly after a momentary pause, and Tony swallowed at the vulnerability in her words. This part he wasn't good at; the emotions and attachment and mushy bits. Thankfully, Kate continued talking, and he didn't have to fake his way through something he wasn't ready to be feeling yet. "When can I see you next?"

"What are you doing right now?" he asked, listening as her breath caught slightly in her throat.

"Reading a book in bed," she answered, and he rolled his eyes.

"How McGee-ish of you," he replied, before realizing she had no idea who that was.

"McGee-ish?" she asked, clearly confused.

"A coworker of mine; forgot you wouldn't know who he was," Tony replied, heading into his kitchen to look for something to eat. "He's a writer, likes books."

"I think I'd get along with him pretty well," Kate replied, adjusting on her couch and holding the phone closer to her ear, enjoying the warmth that spread through her at the sound of Tony's voice.

"Better than Gibbs, I can bet," Tony replied, laughing lightly. "Unless you like redheads, bourbon, boats, and guns, Gibbs is not your man."

"I'm a sandy blonde-kinda girl, I'm more Grey Goose than Maker's Mark, and I get seasick from boats," Kate answered, her tone light and teasing; her soft laugh music to Tony's ears. "But I do sleep with a gun under my pillow."

"What is that I hear?" Tony asked, his tone mocking her. "The art teacher sleeps with a weapon?"

"I have to have some form of protection, since I don't have a husband," Kate pointed out, and Tony conceded. "You still haven't answered my question. When can I see you?"

"I answered. What are you doing right now?" Tony replied, teasing in his tone.

"So I can come over?" she asked, and Tony silently winced. Too soon.

"My apartment's kind of a mess, what with me not being home much the past few days. Can I come to you?" he asked, easily avoiding the issue. Kate agreed quickly, and ten minutes later he was driving to her house, eager to see her again.

He was getting in over his head and not thinking about the future enough-but he couldn't stop.

* * *

><p>Gibbs was sanding his boat in his basement, a mason jar full of bourbon nearby, just like he did every other night they didn't have a case, when he heard the heels tapping on the floorboards above his head.<p>

Not stopping the rhythm of his sander, he waited for the woman who was wearing the heels to come down the steps, knowing she'd make her way to the basement eventually. A few minutes later, the redheaded woman in question arrived at the bottom of the steps, a large, brown paper bag in her arms.

"I brought food," she said with a shrug, and he didn't change his expression, merely nodding towards the work bench. She brought the food over to the bench and started taking out containers of Chinese take-out, and he took the time to look her over.

She was dressed casually; a pair of tight-fitting, dark-washed jeans paired with a dark green t-shirt that fit her curves and the v-neck dipped so that he could just barely see a hint of her cleavage, but left enough to his imagination-and he'd seen it enough to have a pretty good mental picture.

Going over to her, he accepted a carton and a set of chopsticks, leaning against the counter and watching as she set herself up with her own jar of bourbon and stuck a pair of chopsticks into another carton. She turned, her crimson hair slipping off of her shoulder as she brought her jar to her lips. She paused, the glass centimeters from her lips when she noticed him watching her, and she raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"There a reason you're staring at me?" she asked, amusement colored in her tone as she looked at him, her emerald green eyes dancing in the dim lighting.

"Just wondering why you brought me Chinese and are in my basement," he replied, his own eyebrow raising as he spun his chopsticks into his lo mein. Jenny shrugged, twirling her chopsticks through her own carton.

"Figured you should eat sometime this week," she said, keeping her eyes on her food. "Wanted to hear how the end of the case went. And if you found out anything about Tony's sudden change in attitude."

Gibbs' only response was to shrug his shoulders, and Jenny rolled her eyes as she let out a soft sigh.

"It was stupid of me to even expect a straight answer from you, wasn't it?" she asked, and at his slight smirk, she let out a laugh. "Of course it was."

They ate awhile in silence, conversation nonexistent as they finished both their food and their bourbon. When the food was done, he was refilling their drinks when her hands slip atop his, stopping him from picking up the two glasses.

"Jen?" he asked when she said nothing, raising his head to look into her eyes. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, her emerald eyes full of conflicted emotions, too many to name.

"Is it too late to say I was an idiot?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she bit her lip, a sad look covering her face. "That I was stupid, and unthinking, and so hopelessly in love that I was scared out of my mind? Jethro, is it too late to say that I made a mistake, and made the wrong choice?"

Her words slammed into him like a freight train; he swallowed, each syllable hitting him like a blow as the regrets of six years came back to the surface. Her eyes searched his face, her teeth sunken so far into her lower lip he was surprised she hadn't drawn blood yet.

"Jen…"

"No, don't say it," Jenny whispered, shaking her head, her hands slipping off of his as she stepped away, her hair coming forward and brushing her cheeks, where tears had started to slide. "This…was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here."

With that she wiped at the uncharacteristic tears, stumbling over a stool as she headed for the stairs. She reached the top and turned back, her emerald green eyes finding his as she brushed another tear away. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"I wish you knew how sorry I was, Jethro."

And then she was gone, her heels echoing as she headed straight for the front door. There was a distant slam as the front door shut, and he cringed slightly.

The truth was a bitter pill to swallow. Even for him.

* * *

><p>"Tell me more about your coworkers," Kate said, curled up next to Tony as they lay in her bed, enjoying the afterglow. He ran his hand up her bare back, her skin smooth under his fingertips.<p>

"Where to start?" he asked, the hand not wrapped around Kate up behind his head. "Well, Gibbs is the boss. He was a Marine, has a set of rules that I'm not sure I'll ever know all of. He's strict, but, well, I think deep down he may just like us."

"Of course," Kate replied, one hand running through the curly hair on his chest.

"And then there's McGee, the Probie. He's the youngest member of team Gibbs; MIT grad, biomedical degree from John's Hopkins. He's our resident computer geek," Tony continued, ignoring her comment, making her roll her eyes. "And our newest member is the Mossad officer Ziva David; she's a close friend of our new director, Jenny Shepard, who, might I add, I am almost positive is sleeping with Gibbs. But anyway, Ziva and Jenny both came after another agent was killed."

At even the slight mention of Paula Tony fell silent, a sense of grief filling the room. Kate watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed heavily, and she ran her hand down his chest, trying to give him some sort of comfort.

"What was the agent's name?" Kate asked, her voice soft. Tony's eyes were closed, and he took a deep breath before speaking.

"Her name was Paula. Paula Cassidy," he answered, pain raw in his voice. "She was killed by a terrorist that only wanted Gibbs. He shouldn't have killed her. She didn't deserve to die."

Kate studied him, her brown eyes casting over his tight and drawn face, the tension in his chest and shoulders; in the fist he made.

"She was important to you," she observed, her tone neutral. But deep down, she wasn't neutral.

"Are you really doing this?" Tony asked, opening his eyes, the beginnings of anger burning in his hazel eyes. Kate sat up, taking her hands off of him as she pulled the sheets around her chest. "You've had a fiancé, and he's dead. You're really going to get upset over the fact that I had feelings for a woman who's now dead, when you almost got married to man that's gone now? She's no threat to you, Kate. She's gone."

"But her memory isn't," Kate argued, her tone slightly biting. "Her memory is a threat to me. I can't fight with a ghost, Tony!"

"You don't have to!" Tony replied, his tone becoming louder and harder. "I'm with you now, and that's all that mattered. Paula is gone, and nothing happened between us anyway."

"Is that supposed to make me feel any better?" Kate asked, her eyes widening slightly. "Now you're haunted by the fact that you never told her how you felt, and she's gone and she'll never know."

"Why are you dwelling on this, Kate?" Tony asked, shaking his head as he got out of the bed, pulling on his boxers and jeans. "We were in a good place, we worked. And now you have to dig into things you don't even understand, and messing everything up. I hope you got what you needed from me Kate-I'm leaving."

He pulled his t-shirt over his head and grabbed his keys, phone, and wallet from her bedside table, casting his parting words over his shoulder.

"Have a nice life."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! You guys are all awesome! There are slight spoilers for some of the information given in the episode 'Baltimore', from this last season, but since they barely scraped the surface, I'm adding my own twist on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or plot of NCIS.

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><p>It took only an hour for the guilt to sink in.<p>

Sitting in his apartment, head in his hands, he was adrift in a sea of guilt. He knew he shouldn't have said what he had, and taken his anger out on Kate. It wasn't her fault Paula had been killed, or even that she was insecure about his feelings.

He'd had feelings for Paula, and he'd admitted that. The fact that he hadn't told her, and then she'd been killed right in front of him, had caused a hole in his heart that may never heal; he carried the weight of that guilt on his shoulders, but he'd adjusted to what it added. He understood how easily one mistake could change everything.

And now he'd made a mistake in leaving Kate, and he didn't know how to fix this.

Ten minutes later he was in his car, driving around to clear his head. He was passing a Starbucks when the idea hit him, and then he was speeding in the direction of a house whose front door was always open, and whose basement was always stocked with liquor.

He pulled up to the house and found only the one car in the driveway, a singe lamp on in the front room. Stepping out of his car he made his way through the light rain that had started during his drive. He opened the door and made his way inside, finding the basement door half-open, the dim lighting shining through the opening.

Pushing the door fully open he made his way down the stairs, where a silver-haired man was sitting on a stool, a half-full mason jar of bourbon in his hands.

"Sorry to show up so late, Boss," Tony said, scratching his head as he reached the lowest step. Gibbs' eyebrow rose, his dark blue eyes studying the younger man. "Just…needed to clear my head."

"Beer's in the corner," Gibbs replied simply, raising his bourbon to his lips and taking a sip, his throat moving as he swallowed, his shoulders contracting as the alcohol burned its way down to his stomach.

Tony pulled out the dusty bottle of beer and popped the top, throwing it back and practically draining it. Snagging the other stool, he sat down and rested his elbow on the work bench, slouching slightly as he sat.

"Something on your mind, Tony?" Gibbs asked after a long moment of silence, setting his now-empty mason jar on the counter. The use of his first name jarred Tony out of the mental beating he was giving himself, and he straightened up, running both of his hands down his face.

"There's this girl…" Tony started, and watched as Gibbs' eyes darkened slightly. He hastened to explain; he didn't want Gibbs to think this was just another skirt he was chasing. Kate was so much more than that. "This is different, than the other ones. She isn't just another notch in my bedpost."

"What makes her different?" Gibbs asked, his voice gruff as he shifted in his seat, and Tony couldn't quite read the emotion in the older man's eyes.

"She…makes me think, you know, that there's more to life than just sleeping around and drinking and being single. That settling down, and planning a future, and actually living doesn't mean you're in a straightjacket," Tony replied, one of his hands wrapping around the neck of his beer bottle, the other fingering the edge of the label. "She makes me question the way I've been living for the past few years."

There was silence, and then Tony spoke again.

"I haven't felt this way since Wendy. Before she left. When we were happy."

Gibbs' eyes widened slightly, questions dancing in the cobalt irises as he regarded the younger woman.

When Gibbs had met Tony when he was a Baltimore cop, the young man had been engaged to a woman named Wendy. Blonde and blue-eyed, the girl had been a rising star in one of the local law firms. She'd been pushing to get into the DA's office, and there hadn't really been a question as to if she'd get in or not. Her relationship with Tony had started when they'd met one night at a local bar, and nine months into it, he'd proposed. He'd been head over heels for her; the first woman he'd ever really loved, and formed an attachment with.

When he'd come to work at NCIS three months later, Wendy had given him back his ring, and said she didn't think it was going to work. She'd gotten into the DA's office, at the expense of sleeping her way there, and so was engaged in a relationship with that man.

Tony's heart had been shattered, and ever since, he'd never made an emotional attachment with a woman. Until now, it seemed.

"How long you know her?" Gibbs asked, his hand reaching for the bottle of bourbon to pour more into his jar; the ache that had been settled in his chest since Jen had walked out of his basement was intensifying, and he figured the more alcohol he poured into his system, the faster the feeling would numb.

"Month and a half," Tony replied, and Gibbs' eyebrows rose. "But, it's…complicated."

Gibbs said nothing, and Tony sighed, grinding the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"I got dared, in college, to donate to a sperm bank. Stupid fraternity thing," he said, shrugging his shoulders, and taking another swig of beer to give him the courage to continue talking. "Kate came about a month and a half ago to the agency, said she needed to talk to me. Told me she was going to use my…'donations', to get pregnant."

Eyes darkening slightly, Tony grabbed another beer from behind him-his third so far-and cracked it open, taking another long drink from it.

"We had a…disagreement, didn't talk for a few weeks. I went to see her, and…"

"It led to something more," Gibbs finished, relaxing further into the wooden work bench as more and more alcohol flooded his bloodstream. Tony nodded, defeat etched in his features; from the slump of his shoulders to the pain in his eyes, he looked like a man who knew he'd messed up and didn't know how to fix it. Gibbs gazed at the man he dared to call a son only in his brain, and his heart twisted. He would not let this man lose this woman as he had Jen; he would kick his ass (or smack his head) hard enough that Tony would go back to this woman who had changed him in only the few weeks' time they'd known each other.

Standing, he was surprised when he didn't trip as he made his way to his Senior Field Agent from all the alcohol he'd consumed that evening. The younger man looked up when he approached him, but didn't have the time to react before Gibbs' hand connected with the back of his head, sending his neck craning forward. Tony winced, rubbing his head, but gratitude shone in the younger man's eyes.

"Thanks, Gibbs," he said, and went to stand, but stumbled. He winced, rubbing his ankle, and Gibbs knew he couldn't send him out driving.

"There's a bed in the spare room," Gibbs said, and Tony looked up, slightly startled, before nodding.

"I'll be out before 0530 tomorrow," the younger man replied, and Gibbs nodded. Tony slowly made his way up the stairs, shutting the basement door lightly, leaving Gibbs alone. The older man groaned lightly, making his way over to his boat and stretching out in the interior. The worn blanket inside cushioned his back, and he folded up an old t-shirt to place under his head as he stared up at his ceiling.

He kept replaying his conversation with Jen over and over in his head. Why had she left so abruptly-why hadn't she waited for his response?

He honestly didn't know how his feelings for Jen were right now. They were messy and twisted and complicated, but if she had asked to try a relationship, he would. He hadn't been lying when he'd said he had missed her, but she'd dismissed his attempt to rekindle their romance her first day back.

Reflecting on that moment, he realized maybe expecting to pick up where they'd left off on the first day they'd seen each other hadn't been his smartest move. But one look at her and he wanted her like he had when they'd been partners, and he hadn't taken the time to think about her, and her new job in the slightest.

He was an idiot. Maybe he was the one that needed a headslap.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to extract his tangled, alcohol-laced thoughts. He thought momentarily about calling Jen, but decided that was a bad idea. Instead closing his eyes and deciding that looking at things tomorrow, with a clear head, would be better, he let his body relax into sleep.

Things would look better in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I am SO sorry about the slowness- I now have no home computer to write on (still hoping to get it back, with my documents, but things have taken a downward turn), so I'm writing during my work breaks (which is WAY more difficult than it sounds, let me assure you). This may be the last update for a few weeks, so I hope this will be able to tide you over until I get more situated (and I think (well, hope, at least) you'll all enjoy this chapter)!

All Tate this chapter- however, major Jibbs next chapter, I promise (for the readers that are waiting anxiously to see how that situation is diffused).

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or plot of NCIS.

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><p>When Tony woke up the next morning, it took him a few minutes to remember why he wasn't in his own bed. Then the conversation with Gibbs came flooding back, and he relaxed against the crisp white sheets of the bed.<p>

It being a Saturday, he had no work to do, so he headed home to shower and eat, making sure he was out of Gibbs' house by 0530. So when he arrived back at his apartment, he took a long shower, trying to wipe away his massive hangover. When the hot water and soap didn't help, he made him self a large cup of coffee with a shot of expresso, taking a large gulp.

"That is really good coffee," he said to himself, taking another drink. Sitting down at his kitchen table, he tried to formulate a game plan.

Should he call Kate, or go see her?

It would hurt less to call her, but that would be selfish of him.

He should go see her. Maybe if she could see how sorry he was, she'd take him back.

But what if she didn't? Then he'd look like a fool, standing on her doorstep groveling.

Then, the idea hit him.

He picked up his phone and dialed her number, not really expecting her to pick up. So when she did, he was almost too surprised to answer.

"Kate-wait, please don't hang up."

His voice was so desperate she didn't, and his next words were a rush.

"Hemlock Road, apartment complex C, number 304," he said, so fast he was surprised she understood. "I'm home all day."

He then hung up abruptly, turning his phone off and leaving it on his kitchen counter, charging. He made himself a ham sandwich before going into his living room, flicking on his television. Finding a college football game on, he ate in silence as he watched the game, his mind on Kate.

Would she even come? Considering everything he'd put her through, he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. He wanted her to; he wanted to be able to apologize and explain everything to her, and tell her how much he wanted to be with her. But if she didn't give him the chance, he'd understand.

He must have fallen asleep at some point because he awoke the obnoxious buzzing of his intercom system. Disoriented, he stumbled to his front door, pressing the button.

"Whatchawant?"

"Um...Tony?"

Hearing Kate's voice, he was instantly alert, wiping the sleep from his face before answering.

"I'll buzz you in, come on up Kate," he said, pressing the unlock button and then waiting. When there was a light tapping of knuckles on his door he opened it to reveal Kate, dressed in light-colored jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt, sunglasses on her head and her bag in her hand.

Neither one of them said anything; they stood and stared at each other, eyes locked as they waited for the other to move first.

"Are you going to let me in?" Kate asked softly, breaking the silence, her brown eyes unreadable but soft. Tony swallowed and nodded, widening the door so that she could come inside.

He had no idea what to do now; he honestly hadn't expected her to show up, so he hadn't thought this far ahead.

"I wasn't expecting you to call," she said, turning to look at him, standing in the middle of his living room and looking so much like she belonged there that his heart stopped for a moment. "What happened to 'have a nice life'?"

He couldn't help himself; he pulled her close and lowered his lips to hers, finding no resistance as she kissed him back fiercely, her hands tangling into his hair as she pulled him closer. They were at the point where they didn't know where one started and the other ended; he was so intoxicated by the fact that she was there, kissing him back, no rational thoughts were in his head.

When they finally pulled apart from lack of oxygen, he cupped her face in his palms and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes, chest heaving.

"I didn't mean it," he said, raw honesty in his hazel eyes. "I was just...angry and hurting and I took it out on you. You just...you make me feel things I'm scared to feel again. I can't lose you too, Kate."

Kate swallowed, her hands finding his cheeks and her forehead pressing against his, pressing her lips to his softly.

"I shouldn't have said what I said either," she replied, her voice soft. "I just...I think I'm falling for you, Anthony Dinozzo, and that scares me more than I ever thought it could."

Then it was Tony's turn to swallow; it was now or never.

"I think I'm falling for you too, Caitlin Todd," he whispered, and the way Kate's eyes lit up and her lips curved upwards into a smile told him he'd been right to finally admit the truth he'd been fighting for weeks. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, and he brushed them away gently, pulling her closer into a hug. She buried her face in her neck, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

"I'm glad I came," she whispered, and he gripped her harder, her body warm and soft against his.

"Me too."

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><p>It took them almost half an hour to move from standing in the middle of the living room; he brought her into his bedroom, where she curled up in the middle of his bed, looking right at home.<p>

"Want something more comfortable?" he asked, and when she nodded, he rifled through his drawers and found a pair of his sweats and tossed them to her. She changed quickly and pulled off her shirt, leaving her in only her black satin bra and his pants, and then beckoned for him to join her under the covers, which he did more than willingly.

"Your pillows smell like you," she murmured, her skin warm underneath his fingertips.

"I do sleep on them," he replied, his lips coasting over her neck and shoulders, his hands tracing her hipbones, the sweatpants riding low on them. She rolled her eyes at his comment, hands running along the smooth skin of his bare back, her breath catching in her throat as his lips- and hands- moved lower.

"Smart ass," she said, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as his lips hit her ribcage. "At this rate I'll be pregnant in no time."

"You could be pregnant right now," he replied, and Kate sighed softly, letting the idea just wash over her, leaving behind happiness.

"Fingers crossed," she said, and his low chuckle warmed her belly as the vibration of the sound traveled through her. "Can't hurt to try again though, right?"

"No arguments here," Tony answered, and kissed his way back up to her lips. Kate grinned against them, her hands threading into his hair.

She was hoping make-up sex was even better than regular sex; if so, she may just have to pick a few more fights...


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hello- I'm back! Sorry for such a long wait, but life got in the way. For all my Jibbs fans-here's your moment! There's some Tate at the end, but this is primarily for my readers that are following this for the Jibbs aspect (I love you all for sticking with me!).

The song that got me through this chapter? 'Walking on Broken Glass' by Annie Lennox. Hugh Laurie is in the video, and I'm in love with the song.

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters or plot of NCIS.

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><p>Jenny Shepard was not the kind of woman to be caught up with a man.<p>

And yet here she sat in her study, her thoughts consumed by one man who hadn't really left for the past six years. Not since she'd stepped off of a plane and turned her back on everything they'd had.

She could not believe that she'd gone to his basement and admitted what she had.

When she'd taken the job as NCIS Director, she'd told herself that she was not going to let her feelings cloud her judgment. She was not going to let the fact that she was still desperately in love with Leroy Jethro Gibbs stop her from doing her job. And she'd sworn to herself that she would not let down her barriers and confess her regrets to him.

And now look at her- she'd broken her promise to herself, and had embarrassed herself into thinking that he'd actually take her back after everything she'd done to him. How could she have thought that he'd even consider another relationship with her when she'd thrown away all the love he'd given her in Europe? It was a stupid, foolish hope that she'd harbored since she'd heard that she'd be working with him again, and now she had ruined any chance of a professional relationship with him.

Sighing, she swirled her bourbon around her tumbler, the amber liquid catching the light of her fire and reflecting it. She rested one hand under her chin, her thick crimson curls tumbling over her shoulders and covering her face.

Then she let the tears fall silently.

She was so involved in not making a sound, and so focused on her tears, that she didn't hear her front door open, and failed to notice the man that stood in the doorway of her study, watching her.

Eventually she wiped the tears from her face and sniffed, brushing her hair back behind her ears and finding a tissue, blowing her nose. She took a few deep breaths and collected herself, lifting her head and nearly jumping out of her skin when she caught sight of a shadow in the doorway of her study.

She grabbed her gun, lifting it with shaky hands and pointing it towards the shadow.

"Federal Agent-show yourself!"

"You really wanna put a bullet in me, Jen?"

Her heart stopped at the familiar, deep voice. Swallowing, she lowered the gun, setting it on her desk.

"Why are you here Jethro?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly as she tried to calm her racing heart. It had been a week and a half since she'd gone to his basement, and he hadn't once tried to talk to her before now.

"Is it too late to say I was an idiot?" he asked, and her breath caught in her throat. Was he throwing her words back in her face?

"Jethro…"

"Jen, you shocked me- but you also didn't give me a chance to answer," he said, stepping forward so that he was closer to her desk, the firelight flickering over his form and reflecting in his eyes, their blue a shocking cobalt color. "Will you let me answer now?"

"Do I want to hear it?" she asked softly, raising her conflicted gaze to his.

"Won't know until you try," he answered softly, shrugging one shoulder slightly as he watched her, emotions bubbling below the surface of his eyes. Jenny swallowed, biting her lip as she desperately tried to control her emotions.

"Guess it's now or never," she whispered, her voice choked as she looked up into the depths of his sapphire eyes, waiting for his next words.

"I don't know exactly what I feel for you, Jen," he started, and her heart twisted. Maybe she didn't want to hear this after all. She opened her mouth to tell him to stop, and he held up his hand, rushing to continue. "Not like you think Jen- I know how much you mean to me. But things are messy and complicated, and things aren't the same as when we were in Europe. I understand that. But…I'd give us another try. In a heartbeat."

"Really?" Jenny asked, her voice barely above a whisper as tears formed in her eyes, crystals floating in the emerald green irises. Stepping forward, he placed his hands over hers, the rough skin of his calluses making her shiver as they encased hers. Leaning down, he pressed the softest of kisses to the skin just behind her ear, the intimacy of the gesture making the tears spill over.

That was all the answer she needed, and she let him pull her into his embrace, his warmth and scent enveloping her. She sighed, happy.

For the first time in six years, she felt home.

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><p>"Kate, just pick a brand already," Tony said, standing awkwardly in the drug store aisle, waiting as Kate picked through the ten different pregnancy test brands, trying to find the perfect one. She shot him a glare, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Or you could just buy one of each."<p>

"That's actually a good idea," Kate said, surprise coloring her tone. Tony rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her.

"Such astonishment," he replied, and Kate slipped her arm through his, kissing his cheek.

"Part of your charm," she answered simply, before turning back and grabbing one of each of the boxes, loading up her arms. Tony grabbed half of them so that she didn't drop any, and together they brought them to the counter. An awkward, pimple-faced teenaged boy was at the register, and his brown eyes widened at their purchases. Tony has to resist the urge to growl at the boy, and Kate touches his arm soothingly, leaning into him.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as the boy ran them up, his chin resting comfortably on the top of her head. She smelled like strawberries and mangos, and he inhaled deeply, enjoying her perfume. Depositing a quick kiss to her forehead, he knew she was anxious to take the tests and see what the result was.

She was two days late. Since she was so anxious to get pregnant, she decided there was no harm in at least buying the tests and taking them. There was a fifty-fifty chance that it would be positive, and Kate was desperate.

So she'd dragged him to the drug store, and now they stood in line, waiting as Kody rang them up, taking his sweet time scanning the boxes. Finally, Tony was able to slide his credit card and sign, taking the plastic bag that contained the answers to their future, and they walked out of the store together.

It took twenty minutes to drive back to her house, and then another five for Kate to down the huge bottle of orange juice she'd bought at the gas station when he'd stopped to fill up upon driving to the drug store. Then, she peed on all ten sticks, setting them up in rows, an egg timer ticking away as they waited in her bedroom, not in the same room as the tests.

The ding of the time jolted them from their silent musings, and together they stood, each taking a deep breath. Kate's hand found his as they walked into the bathroom, eyes falling on the two rows of tests.

Glaring up at them were ten positive tests.

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><p>AN: Those of you reading my other stories- there is a possibility of my updating those tonight, but it's like 1:45 in the morning here and I have a bottle drive in less than seven hours…I should sleep. Evelyn is asleep right next to me, but so far, no dice for me. Insomnia is a bitch.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! There's a tornado warning for the county where I live, which is rare for my state, and we're not to go outside, so hopefully I have an evening full of writing ahead of me! And, we're nearing the final stretch, so I hope you continue to enjoy this story! There are mentions of one-sided Tony/Paula in this chapter.

The song that got me through this chapter was 'Someone Like You' by Adele- go check out the acoustic version she sings live in her home. Everyone needs to see it. I mean it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters or plot of NCIS.

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><p>Tony took in a deep breath as Kate let out a happy, relieved sigh. She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, and he instinctively held her close, his nose resting in her scented curls. She was warm and soft, and for a moment, his heart hurt.<p>

Kate's perfume smelled like the one Paula used to wear.

And then, everything hit him all at once. He missed Paula- he missed her blue eyes and blonde hair and that half-smile she'd shoot him every so often. He missed his partner, his friend, and he missed the woman that had half-healed his heart.

Kate seemed to sense the change, because she pulled back, frowning.

"Tony?"

"Sorry," he said, looking away. He didn't want to detract from Kate's happiness- she'd wanted this with everything she had, and he didn't want his misery to take away from her moment.

Turning, he left the bathroom, going over to the nightstand and grabbing his wallet and keys. Kate leaned against the doorframe, watching him silently.

"Why are you leaving?" she asked, her arms folded over her chest.

"I need to clear my head," he answered quietly, pocketing his wallet and shifting his keys from hand to hand. He changed his stance awkwardly, hit teeth pulling his lower lip into his mouth. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Okay," Kate replied, tilting her head towards him, her lips set in a slight frown. "I'm going to call my mom and dad. They'll probably be here when you get back, along with my siblings."

Tony swallowed and nodded, his stomach tugging.

"Tony- I love you," she whispered, and the tears that shown in her eyes were like a stab in the heart. Was it even possible for him not to hurt her? "I wish that was enough."

"I'm sorry, Kate," he said, turning and walking out of the room, his throat thick.

He knew where he needed to go.

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><p>The cemetery was empty.<p>

He parked his car and grabbed the lilies from the passenger seat, opening his door and pocketing his keys. He slowly made his way to the plot, and when he finally found it, he sat cross-legged in front of it, simply staring.

"Hey Paula," he said softly after a few moments, his voice permeating the silence surrounding him. "I wish you were here."

It wasn't that he wasn't happy; he was. He loved Kate, and he was happy for this baby. But he missed his partner, his friend- he missed the advice she'd give when she could tell he truly needed it, the laugh she'd use when it was just the two of them in the bullpen late at night, the way her blonde hair would curl just so when she let it down from her usual up-do. The way her blue eyes would sparkle when he said just the right thing.

Ziva was a good partner, he knew. But she wasn't Paula; no one could be Paula.

"I'm gonna be a dad," he said, and let out a somewhat-strained laugh. "Remember how you used to kid me about that? Only it's actually on my own terms, in a sense."

Jenny Shepard was walking to her father's grave when she noticed the one other person in the cemetery that day. It being her father's birthday, she was continuing her tradition of sitting with him for an hour, bringing a bottle of scotch, and one of his cigars, so that for that sixty minutes, it smelled like he used to, and she felt like she had her daddy back.

It took her a minute, but then she realized who that lone person was.

"Tony?" she asked, and the person sitting spun, facing her with wide hazel eyes.

"Director," he said, standing slightly awkwardly, the lilies still in his hand. "I-"

"Tony, there's no need to explain," Jenny said, offering him a kind smile. "And you can call me Jenny- we aren't at work."

"Okay-thanks…Jenny," the younger man said, relaxing slightly. "Fine day out, isn't it?"

"I come here every year on this day, and it hasn't rained all ten years I've come," Jenny replied, glancing up at the clear blue sky.

"If it isn't too personal…why are you here?" Tony asked, setting the lilies down carefully on Paula's headstone, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazed at the redhead in front of him. She sighed, glancing down at the bottle of scotch and glasses in her hand, and the cigar box.

"Today is my father's birthday; I'm going to celebrate with him," Jenny answered softly, raising sad green eyes to his. "I come every year to spend and hour or two with him."

"I do that with my mom," Tony replied, understanding and caring in his voice and eyes. "Tell her what's been going on, how I've been. I've got a lot to share this year, it seems."

"Like Paula?" Jenny asked carefully, not wanting to upset him. He simply nodded, turning and looking back at the red granite headstone, the curled letters blending together.

"And Kate," he replied, elaborating at her confused look. "She's…well, I guess girlfriend, but she's much more than that. We just found out she's having a baby."

"That's a big responsibility," Jenny said, shifting the items in her arms slightly.

"It's…a lot to take in," he replied, his hands slipping into his pockets. "But we're happy about it."

"Congratulations," Jenny said, and she placed the items in her arms on the ground, coming forward to shake his hand. He accepted it, but his eyes were conflicted. "Tony? Do you want to talk about it?"

"I feel like I'm forgetting Paula by moving on," he said, his voice rough and low, his eyes falling once again on the headstone.

"You loved her," Jenny said, her observation soft. He was silent for a moment before he nodded, his shoulders sagging. "Tony, you aren't forgetting Paula by moving on and making a life with Kate. Everyone has to move forward at some point; Paula would understand that, if she loved you as well."

"I don't think she knew how I felt," Tony admitted, his voice cracking. "When I got the plague and she stayed, I thought maybe…but before I got the chance to tell her, she was killed."

"Survivor's guilt," Jenny said, and Tony sighed, running a hand down his face. "Tony, this will eat you away. You love her enough to know you have to let her ghost go, or it will forever haunt you."

"I know that, deep down," Tony admitted, looking at Jenny, finding compassion in her eyes. "I just…I don't want to hurt Kate."

"By loving Paula?" Jenny asked, and Tony nodded, pain in his eyes. "Tony, she understands you had a life before her, and I'm sure she had one before you, as well. That's how life works. Do you love Kate?"

"So much it scares me sometimes," Tony answered, and Jenny's lips curled up slightly, her green eyes still studying him.

"Then that's what you need to live for," Jenny replied, touching his arm lightly. "You need to live for her, and your baby. Because that baby is going to need you- that baby is going to need a father."

"I want to be a good father," Tony says, almost half-under his breath, as though he's saying the words to himself. "I _will_ be a good father."

"Go tell her that," Jenny said, and Tony nodded, raising a gaze clear of conflict to hers.

"Thank you, Jenny," he said, and she merely smiled, squeezing his hand lightly.

"Anything to help," she said, and for the first time he smiled at her. He turned, touching Paula's headstone lightly, his fingers tracing her name once more before turning back. He nods to Jenny as he passes, and she turns and watches him pass. He's a few feet away when he turns back, his gaze a little more somber.

"And Jenny?" he asked, causing her to lift her head and tilt it, silently asking him to continue. "Tell your dad I said happy birthday."

She smiled sadly before collecting her items and heading off in the direction of her dad's resting place once again, and Tony continued on his way to his car.

It was time to tell Kate just how he felt.

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><p>AN: And with the ending of this chapter, I have put the whole La Grenouille business to rest, as Jenny's words to Tony about letting ghosts go actually hit home and she stops her idiotic plot to take him down. And she merely enjoys being with Gibbs :)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! This hurricane isn't looking so great- if I suddenly fall off the face of the earth it's because I have no power from the storms.

I snuck some Jibbs in here for Jibbgal1- hope it suffices until I can get a new Jibbs-story chapter up ;)

The rating gets questionable in the end of this- so, I warn you, it's like a heavy T or light M. It's smut, but I tried to get it within rating.

The song for this chapter is 'Keep You' by Sugarland. I really recommend you watch the video for it; Jennifer Nettles is just so damn _good_ in it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the names I gave some of the members of Kate's family- all the original stuff belongs to DPB.

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><p>Tony took a deep, nervous breath before entering Kate's house. There were a number of cars in her driveway, and he was going to assume they were Kate's family.<p>

He was screwed.

In his hand was a fruit smoothie from her favorite place, and in the other was the necklace he'd picked out with her birthstone in the center of an intricate silver heart. He knew it wasn't even close to enough, but he hoped it was at least a start.

He found her in the kitchen with a woman with steely gray hair and Kate's brown eyes, who he assumed was her mother. Both women looked up when they heard him, and the older woman's eyes darkened slightly.

Adele Todd was not a woman to be messed with, and when someone hurt her family, she did not take kindly to it. She gazed at the man in front of her, standing awkwardly with a smoothie in one hand and a small box in the other, and softened slightly at how terrified he looked.

"Tony, this is my mom, Adele," Kate said, motioning between the two of them, biting her lip as she eyed the smoothie. "Mom, this is Tony."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Tony," Adele said, her voice crisp, but not overly curt. Tony nervously shook her hand after giving the smoothie to Kate, who took it happily, offering him a tiny smile, which he returned. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" Tony asked, swallowing as he tried hard not to sweat under the intense brown gaze staring him down.

"My daughter is quite taken with you," Adele continued, sitting back slightly and folding her arms. "I'm not so sure that's a good thing, in all honesty."

"I understand, Mrs. Todd," Tony said, lowering his gaze slightly before meeting her eyes and continuing. "But I'm just as taken with her as she is with me. I may not be the greatest guy on the planet, and I may have flaws and cracks, but I love your daughter, Mrs. Todd. I love her very much, and I love this baby very much as well. I know I'm not your first choice for your daughter- but I firmly believe she's the one for me."

His words were met with stunned silence, and he swallowed again, nervous that he'd overstepped. But then Adele smiled, and Kate started to cry as she walked over and threw her arms around his neck, and he thought that he may just have done something right for once. Kate pulled him into the small side room and kissed him fiercely, her hands threaded in his hair as she pressed as close as she could get. When she pulled away they were both breathing heavily.

"I love you," she said, and his chest wasn't heavy at the words.

"I love you too," he said, brushing back her hair and cupping her cheek. He remembered the necklace, and dug into his pocket, pulling out the box. "I know this doesn't erase what I did, but…"

"Tony it's beautiful," she said, running her fingers along the curves of the heart. "I absolutely love it."

She turned around and motioned for him to put the necklace on her, and after he secured it around her neck, she turned back around, kissing him.

"So you survived Mom…" she said, her lips curving up into a smile when she pulled away, her hands resting in the center of his chest. "Think you can make it through Dad and the boys?"

"How many...boys, are there?" Tony asked hesitantly, and Kate let out a quite laugh at his nervousness.

"Three; Brian and Drake are older than me, and Chris is five years younger. He's a year younger than Rachel, too," Kate replied, her lips curving up further at the mention of her siblings. "And then Roy is my dad."

Tony swallowed again, and Kate cupped his cheek, nuzzling his neck with her nose.

"You'll be fine, I promise- they don't bite," she told him, but Tony was still nervous. He was the guy that had knocked up their eldest daughter- he was sure he had some form of hell to pay from the men in her life.

But instead of saying that aloud, he merely kissed her forehead and took a deep breath, preparing himself.

He could do this.

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><p>They walked back into the now-empty kitchen together, and after Kate grabbed her smoothie, they continued towards the living room.<p>

In the living room was the entire Todd family; both her parents, and all four of her siblings. They looked nice enough, but Tony had learned long ago not to be decieved by appearances.

"Guys- this is Tony," Kate said, motioning towards him before looking at each of her family members, glaring slightly. "Be nice. I mean it."

"Ah, c'mon Katie- when aren't we nice?" a younger man said, shooting Kate a wide grin, his brown eyes dancing.

"Chris, you still haven't grown up," Kate said as she rolled her eyes, but she was smiling regardless.

The man Tony could only assume was Kate's father stood, and with a single jut of his head, motioned for Tony to go into the kitchen. He exchanged a quick look with Kate before doing as he'd been told- well, mentioned- and tried to quell the nerves in his stomach.

Roy Todd was a forboding man- he had dark eyes and while his dark brunette hair was shot with silver, he still looked fit and trim. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, folding his arms, and just studying Tony in a manner that was eerily like Gibbs' stare.

It was a many long moments later that he actually spoke, his voice low and gruff, but with an undertone of kindness.

"Are you going to leave her?" Roy asked simply, his expression not changing except for his eyes- they grew darker and even more serious as he waited for Tony's answer.

"No, I'm not," Tony answered, and then Roy's face lightened, a genuine smile crossing his face. He extended his hand, and Tony shook it firmly.

"Welcome to the family, Tony," he said, and Tony could have cried in relief at the welcome shining in the older man's eyes. They walked back into the living room, and when everyone saw the hand Roy had on Tony's left shoulder blade, and it was like a weight was lifted from the room.

All was well in the house of Caitlin Todd.

* * *

><p>Jenny Shepard was tired when she finally arrived home after her trip to the cemetery.<p>

It was still hard, to have to spend her dad's birthday with him at his grave. She'd give anything for him to be alive again; to be able to spend his birthday with _him_. But she couldn't, and she'd just have to accept it.

She set the glasses and scotch bottle down on her desk in the study, placing the cigars back in the bottom drawer, and then headed upstairs to shower and get in cozier clothes before starting in on the files she'd neglected.

The hot water helped to ease the ache sitting for so long on the cold, hard ground had made more pronounced in her back and shoulders, and she came out smelling cleaner and with a clearer head than when she'd gone in. She wrapped herself in a towel and partially dried her hair before heading back into her bedroom, where she nearly had a heart attack.

"Jethro? What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?" Jenny asked, swallowing slightly at how damn _good_ he looked in his jeans.

They hadn't taken the 'next step' in this second try at a relationship; there hadn't been enough time, for one thing, and they were taking it one step at a time, so they didn't rush. They both wanted this to work.

"Came around today, weren't home," he answered with a shrug, and she ran a hand through her damp hair, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. "Wanted to check you were okay."

She was touched by his concern, but she didn't know if she was ready to share her father's ghost yet. But then she thought of her own words to Tony at the cemetery, and she realized she'd be a hypocrite if she didn't follow her own advice.

"It's my dad's birthday today," she replied, holding her towel tighter around her torso. "I went to the cemetery to spend it with him."

His blue eyes softened, and with a slight hesitancy, came forward so that he reached her side. His mouth was close to hers, and her eyes flickered to his lips before returning to his eyes. He got her message easily, and leaned down, kissing her properly for the first time in six years. She sighed into the kiss, opening her mouth as his hands cupped her still-warm cheeks, the heat from her shower radiating through her body and making his mind spin in circles as everything about her overpowered him.

The kiss was getting more involved when Jenny made pretty much the last conscious decision of the night.

She let her towel drop to the floor.

* * *

><p>After the family had left and things were calm, Kate led Tony upstairs, where he sank gratefully onto the bed, sprawling out on his stomach. Kate watched in amusement, heading into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Tony perked up at the sound of the running water, and rolled onto his back to look at his lover with raised eyebrows.<p>

"You impressed my family- I guess you get some kind of a reward," Kate said, but the amusement in her eyes showed she was teasing. Tony laughed easily, shaking his head slightly as he stood, coming over to where she was standing in the doorway. He cupped her cheek, his other hand sliding around her waist as his mouth descended on hers, pressing her back against the doorway lightly.

She opened her mouth to him, her hands winding into his hair as she pulled him closer, wanting more of his mouth. He pulled her hips tight against his, pressing against her teasingly, and she broke the missing, moaning softly at the sensation.

"Skip the shower?" she asked breathlessly, her brown eyes hazy as she looked at him, one thing clearly on her mind. He shook his head, his hands slipping underneath her shirt and pulling it over her head before reaching for the button of her pants, wanting them off.

"In the shower," he answered, and Kate's moan was the only encouragement he needed to shed his own clothes and follow her into the steamy spray. Two seconds after he closed the door behind him he had her pressed up against the moist shower wall. She jumped up slightly, wrapping her legs around his waist as she kissed him feverishly, her damp hair sticking to their cheeks.

He needed her so badly; after testing her quickly he was inside her, groaning at the feeling and using Herculean effort to wait until she was ready for him to move. She nodded, panting, letting him know it was okay, and he began a rhythm that started slow but increased in tempo.

Then they were hurtling towards the cresendo; she climaxed moments before him, his name leaving her lips in a hoarse cry that only he and the steam in the room heard. They stayed together, panting, and Tony reached up with a shaky hand, brushing her damp hair out of her face, tracing the curve of her cheek with his pointer finger.

"You're beautiful," he said, and she flushed even more at the compliment, leaning forward to kiss him softly once more.

"I love you," she replied, and the words felt like a gift. And it finally felt right to take that gift, because of one simple fact.

He loved her back.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I've skipped away a few weeks, to get this story going. There are only three chapters after this one, and then we'll be finished with this story. I'm so glad you've all liked it so far, and I hope the ending suits you all as well!

This is one of those slight-cliffhangers-continues-next-chapter kind of things :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters of NCIS.

* * *

><p>Fire fights were never good. And when you went into one not knowing how many people you were against or what kind of weapons they had, that was even worse.<p>

No one was expecting what the team ran into, though.

Five massive men with large weapons stood in front of them, and they appeared outnumbered. But a few quick shots had three of the men down, and the other two looked ready to surrender.

So Tony walked out, gun drawn, to take them down, with Ziva close behind. He'd made it ten feet when there was another shot, and he crumpled to the ground. Ziva turned, shot the man who had shot Tony, who was on a raised platform behind them, while Gibbs and Tim took out the other two men.

Ziva ran to Tony, who was bleeding from his shoulder. He groaned when she probed the wound, but made no other movement. Gibbs reached them, and she turned, worry in her dark brown eyes.

"We must call an ambulance."

* * *

><p>Gibbs didn't like making these calls- especially because of a member on his team, to someone he didn't know. But he had to, and he took a deep breath before punching in the number and putting the phone to his ear. After a few rings, a female voice picked up.<p>

"Hello, Kate speaking."

"Kate? This is Special Agent Gibbs, of NCIS."

"What's wrong with Tony?" she asked instantly, and he could detect the fear and worry in her voice. "Is he alright?"

"He's been shot," Gibbs answered, and she sucked in a huge breath of air. "He's at Bethesda Naval Hospital, going into surgery."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," she answered in a tight voice. "I just have to find a sub to take over the class."

"The team is in the waiting room," he replied, and she let out a bitter laugh.

"He wanted me to meet you all- but not like this."

Then, the line went dead.

* * *

><p>"Any news, Jethro?" Jenny asked softly, finding him by the coffee machines, making himself his fifth cup. Her slim fingers touched his wrist, and he relished the comforting contact. Turning, he shook his head, and she stepped closer, almost hesitantly. He wrapped his arms around her instantly, pulling her closer to him.<p>

They were sheltered, in the small alcove, and Jenny let down her barriers, hugging him back. She turned her head and brushed her lips over his. He responded by cupping her cheeks and kissing her again, longer this time, letting her open her mouth to him.

Jenny broke away after a few moments, kissing him quickly once more, her hands taking his and squeezing gently.

"Grab your coffee and I'll see if I can get any information," she said, and he swiftly grabbed his cup, his hand ghosting on her back as they headed back to the waiting area where Tim and Ziva were talking quietly, and Abby was pacing the small square of waiting space.

Kate hadn't arrived yet; it had been almost an hour, and Jethro was hoping that it just meant that traffic was bad, or she'd had trouble finding a sub.

"Director," Ziva said quietly, nodding to her friend. Jenny returned to gesture, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm going to see if I can find anything out from the nurses," she said quietly, and Jethro nodded, taking a seat across from Tim, feeling exhausted.

Just then, a frazzled brunette woman burst into the area, and all their eyes widened.

"Are you the NCIS people?" she asked, and Ziva was the first to respond.

"Are you Kate?" she asked, and the woman nodded. That was when they all noticed her baby bump, and all their eyes widened even further.

"You're...Ziva?" she asked, and the Israeli nodded, slightly surprised. Kate turned next to Tim, looking him over quickly. "And you're Tim."

"That's me," he replied, offering her a smile, which she returned easily. Next she turned to Abby, another hint of a smile touching her face.

"And you're Abby," she said, causing the Goth to grin, distracting her from her worrying.

"He told you about me!" she said, launching herself at Kate. She hugged her tightly until Kate tapped her back, breathless. "Oh, sorry. I'm a hugger."

"So I've heard," Kate said, a soft laugh escaping her. Lastly she turned to Gibbs, her brown eyes slightly wary. "And you must be Gibbs."

"The one and only," he answered, standing up from his seat and offering her his hand, which she shook firmly. "So you're Kate."

"I'm Kate," she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders. Then, she swallowed, her eyes turning a shade darker. "Have you heard anything?"

"I just talked to the nurses-" Jenny said as she walked in, stopping when she noticed the new face. "Oh- hello."

"I'm Kate," Kate said, extending a hand, which Jenny shook, understanding now who this woman was. "I'm guessing you're Director Shepard?"

"Feel free to call me Jenny," Jenny replied, glancing quickly at Jethro. "I have news on Tony."

Everyone came closer so they could hear, and then Jenny spoke.

"The bullet damaged his left shoulder blade, but no internal organs were hit, and he's in Recovery now. He'll need some physical therapy, but should be back in the field in a few months," Jenny told them, watching as they all sighed in relief. "Only one person is allowed to see him now- Kate, would you like to go?"

"If you all don't mind..." Kate said hesitantly, looking at them all.

"Now that we know he's fine, we don't have to be worried, Kate," Tim said, shrugging slightly. "He'll be here in the morning. Go on- tell him we said hi."

"And that he is an idiot," Ziva said, rolling her eyes as she bestowed a smile on the woman.

"Of course," Kate said, and Tim and Ziva nodded once more to everyone around them before leaving together.

"Tell Tony I'll come and visit him tomorrow," Abby said, her green eyes wide. "And that I'll bring Bert, if he wants. He loves Bert."

"I'll tell him, Abby," Kate said, and the Goth beamed, hugging her again.

"Bye Kate. And bye Gibbs, Director," Abby said, depositing hugs on the other two as well before leaving. Kate looked at the other two, slightly bewildered.

"Is she always that...bubbly?" she asked, and they nodded. "Wow."

"Helps that she drinks Caf-Pows! and nothing else," Gibbs said, watching as Kate's eyes widened further.

"Tell Tony we're thinking about him," Jenny said, smiling slightly at Kate.

"I will," Kate said, nodding to them. Jenny gave Jethro a slight push, and they walked together- and just as they rounded the corner, Kate watched as Gibbs slipped his fingers into Jenny's.

Turning with a smile on her face, she made her way to the nurses' station, where she was directed to Tony's bed. His eyes were closed and he was lying on his side when she reached him, his arm held immobile. When she reached his side, she stroked his hair, and his eyes blinked open.

"That you Kate?" he asked, sleep still in his voice, and she nodded, leaning forward to kiss his forehead softly.

"It's me. Nice work, getting shot," she said, keeping her voice quiet. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Not the intent," he replied, blinking his eyes opening again. "Baby?"

"Moving like crazy," she replied, and his lips curled up into a smile.

"Gonna be a soccer star," he replied, pride in his tone. "Or a ballerina."

"I think it's going to be a boy," Kate said, and he shook his head, eyes closing.

"It's a girl," Tony replied, his uninjured hand finding hers, and she brought it to her belly, like she knew he wanted her to. "I'm positive- and DiNozzo's are never wrong."

"I guess we'll just have to see," Kate said, amusement in her tone. "Get some more sleep- I'll be here when you wake up."

"Mmkay. Love you," Tony said, already drifting.

"I love you too Tony," Kate replied softly, brushing back his hair, tracing his ear with her fingertip. He eased back into sleep peacefully, and Kate watched him in silence. She'd come close to losing him today.

She was remembering just how dangerous it was to give someone your heart- even if it wasn't their fault, they could break it.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! :) I promise, this story has a happy ending. There's too much angst in real life to not end this on a happy note. That, and I have a happy-ending-complex. I need things to end happily :)

Today's my last day of work, so hopefully I'll be able to update to finish this story rather quickly. Two more chapters after this (which, I'm sorry it's short, but this is where I want this chapter to end), then this story shall be complete! :)

Oh, and um...Happy Birthday Mark Harmon! You may be sixty, but you're still sexier than most men younger than you. ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters of NCIS.

* * *

><p>All Tony was aware of when he awoke was how much his shoulder hurt.<p>

He groaned as he opened his eyes, and the sunlight streaming in through the window hurt. He went to roll over, and found that he couldn't. Then, all the memories came flooding back from the previous day, and he winced, remembering the bullet wound in his shoulder.

"Tony, you're not allowed to move."

He turned his head at the sound of Kate's voice, and rolled his eyes, sighing loudly.

"I kind of got that," he replied, and she let out a light laugh, coming over to sit next to him. She was wearing her school clothes, which he assumed was from the previous day, and he frowned. "You didn't go home?"

"I didn't want to leave," she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders. Her light blue blouse hugged her belly, which was just starting to round, displaying their baby. She had on loose white pants, and her hair had been hastily braided, he was guessing this morning.

"Kate, you didn't have to sleep in the chair," Tony said, frowning in concern. "How's your back?"

"I'll admit it's not the best, but I didn't want to go home, and sleep in an empty bed," Kate admitted quietly, and he softened, reaching for her hands, bringing them up and kissing the backs of them softly.

"Thanks for staying," he said softly, and she nodded, but her eyes were guarded, and he frowned, concerned. "Kate, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, but it was too quick for his taste, and his frown deepened.

"You're lying," he said, and she sighed, taking back her hands and rubbing at her eyes. "Kate, tell me, please."

"I just...I realized, yesterday, how close I could come to losing you," she said, looking down at her hands in her lap, the fingers twisting each other nervously.

"I'm a Federal Agent, it happens. And it was only my shoulder, I'll be healed in no time," Tony said, trying to reassure her, but she shook her head, raising tear-filled eyes to his.

"Tony, another few inches and you would have been paralyzed. You could have been killed!" Kate said, a few tears leaking down her cheeks. "What about our baby? What if you're killed before the baby is born? I don't want our son or daughter growing up not knowing their father, Tony!"

Tony swallowed, realizing just how much this had freaked her out. This hadn't been his first time being shot, or facing death. But for Kate, she wasn't used to this. She was a school teacher- she taught little kids how to draw and paint. He put away criminals and terrorists.

"Kate," Tony said, but she kept her gaze on her hands, and he shifted as much as he could. "Please, Kate, look at me baby."

She raised her tear-soaked face to his, her brown eyes full of emotion, a teardrop clinging to her eyelash. He raised his hand to brush it away, cupping her cheek and running his thumb along her cheekbone. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as his fingers stroked her skin.

"I can't lose you," she whispered, biting her lip as she opened her eyes back up, the brown irises shaded with fear. He pulled her closer, pressing his lips to hers. She responded easily, though she kept in mind that his shoulder hurt.

"You won't lose me, I promise," Tony said, and Kate sighed, brushing his nose with hers. "Kate, I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, looking up into his eyes, the raw honesty of the moment overpowering both of them.

Eventually he shifted, getting into a comfortable position so that she could join him on the bed. She curled up against him, her hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. She brought his hands to her belly, where he could feel the gentle kicks of their son or daughter.

"I met your team," she told him, watching as his eyes widened. "They're...quite a crew."

"That's one way to put it," Tony replied, snorting.

"They care about you," she said, moving his hand down slightly, where a tiny foot hit his palm. "You're obviously close."

"When your life could wind up resting in their hands, you tend to draw closer to them," Tony replied with a shrug, his hands moving upwards from her belly to her breasts, making her tilt her head back and push the moan down.

"Tony, stop. Don't you want to hear about what I saw between Gibbs and Jenny?" Kate asked, her breathing becoming more labored and her mind clouding over.

"Do tell," Tony said, but he didn't stop his motions.

"If you keep doing that you won't be getting anything out of me except for moans," she replied, opening one eye and half-heartedly glaring, in too much bliss to really reprimand him.

"Fine, tell me quick," Tony said, moving his hands back down to her belly.

"They held hands as they were walking away, last night when we got the news that you were out of surgery," Kate said, and his eyes widened before a grin spread over his face.

"I knew they were together!" he cried, before wincing when his excited movements caused pain to richochet throughout his body. "No one else believed me- I knew I was right."

"Well, I'm glad you were proved correct," Kate said, roling her eyes as she helped him get resituated. "How about we get you healed before you click your heels in excitement?"

"I'll be good as new in a week," Tony said, running his hands down her back, resting his hands on her ass. "Promise."

"We'll see," Kate replied, rolling her eyes. Tony merely began kissing her neck, leaving a small bruise near her collarbone. "Don't you dare bite me- I have class to teach tomorrow."

"Spoiling my fun," he mumbled, and she laughed.

"Shut up- I'll show you fun," she said, pulling his lips to hers and kissing him.

He grinned against her lips, responding enthusiastically. He could get used to this kind of treatment. Maybe he should get shot more often.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! Only one more chapter to follow this one!

I hope everyone else's Labor Day is better than mine (for those that celebrate it). It's really rainy and wet where I am.

I'm sorry this is short, but the main purpose is for its major fluff- because I think everyone deserves a little bit (or a lot) of fluff, with all those that are joining me in going back to school this week. SENIOR YEAR! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters of NCIS; the book is written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram.

* * *

><p>With her due date fast approaching, Kate was getting more and more excited about finally meeting their baby. She had only three weeks left, and while she'd cherished her pregnancy, she was ready to be done.<p>

When Tony arrived at her house- where they'd wordlessly decided they'd be living a few months prior- he found her in the nursery, looking through the collection of children's books that were on the small shelf near the rocking chair.

"Whatcha lookin' for?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her dark hair as he rubbed her shoulders.

"I'm going to read to the baby," she answered, pulling out the small, thick-paged book. "Want to help?"

"Of course," Tony said, sitting on the footstool in front of the rocker, taking the book and opening it, settling it on Kate's thighs so that his face was directly in front of her belly. He started to read, his voice soft and so sweet Kate's eyes welled up.

"Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears," he said, looking up from the book, one of his hands gently touching her belly. "He wanted to make sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening. 'Guess how much I love you,' he said.

"'Oh, I don't think I could guess that," Big Nutbrown Hare said," Kate continued, one of her hands linking with Tony's as she read.

"'This much,' said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as far as they would go," Tony said, demonstrating with his arms what the hare was doing in the book.

"Big Nutbrown Hare had even wider arms. 'But I love _you_ this much,' he said. Hm, that's a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare," Kate said, a smile on her face at the pure joy on Tony's face.

"'I love you as high as I can reach,' said Little Nutbrown Hare," Tony continued, reaching from his position on the stool.

"'I love you as high as _I_ can reach,' said Big Nutbrown Hare. That is very high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that," Kate said, touching her belly, bringing Tony's hand up to where the baby was moving.

"Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside and reached up the tree trunk with his feet. 'I love you all the way up to my toes!' he said," Tony said, tickling the curve of Kate's bump, where he could feel a little foot.

"'And _I_ love you all the way up to your toes,' said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head," Kate said, one of her hands running through Tony's hair.

"'I love you as high as I can hop!' laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down," Tony said, running his hands over Kate's belly, finding her hands.

"'But I love you as high as _I_ can hop,' smiled Big Nutbrown Hare- and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above," Kate said, smiling as she touched Tony's cheeks. "That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that."

"'I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river,' cried Little Nutbrown Hare," Tony said, locking eyes with Kate when he finished, swallowing at all the emotion in her brown irises.

"'I love you across the river and over the hills,' said Big Nutbrown Hare," Kate whispered, her voice getting choked up.

"That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think anymore. Then he looked beyond the thornbushes, out into the big dark sky. Nothing could be farther than the sky," Tony said, emotion clogging his throat as he read the final few pages, feeling his son or daughter moving. "'I love you right up to the moon,' he said, and closed his eyes."

"'Oh that's far,' said Big Nutbrown Hare. 'That is very, very far.'," Kate said, her voice soft as a whisper as they reached the end of the book. "Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him goodnight."

"Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile," Tony said, and together, they said the last sentence, their voices reaching their baby together.

"'I love you right up to the moon- and back."

They closed the book, and Tony leaned forward, a hand on each side of Kate's belly, and pressed a kiss to the top of it, turning so that he could press his cheek against it.

"We love you, baby," he said, and Kate murmured her agreement, her hand threaded into his hair. "We can't wait to meet you."

"We're so excited to be your mommy and daddy," Kate said, a tear falling down her cheek that Tony brushed away with his thumb, his hand cupping her cheek.

Standing up, he leaned down and kissed her, cupping her cheeks, her hands in his hair as she pulled him closer. He kissed her until he couldn't breathe, finally pulling back to look into her beautiful brown eyes, seeing all the love and happiness and peace in those deep, dark irises.

"I love you," he whispered, and the love grew bigger.

"I love you more," she whispered back, her hands coming forward to rest on his cheeks. "I love you right up to the moon."

"And back," Tony whispered, causing more tears to leak from her eyes.

"I'm so glad you're mine," Kate whispered, the raw emotion of the admittance catching Tony off-guard, and he swallowed, pulling her up out of the chair and into a hug, pressing her as close as her baby bump would allow.

"I'm so glad you're mine too," he whispered hoarsely, one hand pressed into the back of her head, the other around her. A single tear slid down his face, and he closed his eyes as he hugged her close. "I love you."

* * *

><p>AN: The book they read is 'Guess How Much I Love You', for those that don't know it. It's probably the cutest book I've ever read/had read to me, and I love moments where parents read to their unborn baby. I'm a huge, shameless sap :)


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thank you all so much for all of your reviews and support throughout this story! We've reached over 100 reviews, which is awesome, and you're all fabulous :) I've enjoyed writing this story, but I don't think I'll be doing a sequel. I think I'll be going back to my Jibbs writings, where I'm most comfortable. :)

Many thanks to my faithful anonymous reviewer, Helen- you're awesome for reviewing every chapter! Thank you!

How they name their little bundle of joy is exactly how my little sister got named (well, aside from the reason for the middle name). So it does happen, lol.

Disclaimer: I only own my little Tate baby :)

* * *

><p>Jenny was sitting in her office, reading through emails, when her cell rang.<p>

"Shepard."

"Jenny, it's Kate. I've been calling Tony for the past ten minutes and he's not answering and neither is anyone else from the team, and my water just broke and I don't know what to do!" Kate's frantic voice said, and Jenny's eyes widened, taking everything in.

"Kate, calm down, and take a deep breath for me," Jenny said, listening for the other woman to do as she'd said before continuing. "The team is out on a case; they're probably in a dead zone. I'll come and pick you up, and we'll continue to call them, and have them meet us there, alright?"

"Alright," Kate replied, her voice tight, and Jenny quickly got her address before collecting the bare essentials and informing Cynthia she'd be gone for the rest of the day and to take messages for all her calls. She met her detail and driver in the parking garage and gave them the address, and they were there in record time.

Jenny walked up to the large front door, opening it and stepping inside, calling for Kate.

"In here!" came a pained voice, and Jenny found the younger woman sitting on the couch, clutching the armrests with white knuckles, her face masked in pain.

"Oh, Kate," Jenny said, moving quickly to her side and taking her hand, letting the brunette squeeze her hand. Once it ended and Kate's eyes opened, Jenny helped her stand, grabbing her bag. "My detail is outside, we'll be at the hospital in no time. And I'm having Hector call every member of the team repeatedly until they pick up, okay?"

"Hector?" Kate asked, looking at Jenny curiously, wincing slightly at a smaller contraction.

"My bodyguard," Jenny answered, and Kate's eyes widened.

"Damn," the younger woman replied, and Jenny let out a soft laugh.

"Director of NCIS is a high value target," Jenny said, shrugging. They reached the town car, where Stan and Jenny helped Kate inside, the redhead following her soon after.

"Director," Hector said, turning around to look at her, handing her back her cell phone. "I was able to reach Agent Gibbs; they will be meeting us there in an hour. They're in Shenandoah Park, and that's why they were unreachable."

"Thank you, Hector," Jenny said, pocketing her Blackberry. "See, Kate? Tony will be there soon."

Kate merely nodded, regulating her breathing as her hands rested on her belly, her eyes closed as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. Jenny covered one of the younger woman's hands with her own, and Kate gripped it gratefully.

Once at the hospital, Kate was admitted and set up in a room, and Jenny stepped out to call Jethro.

"Sit-rep, Agent Gibbs?" she asked, amusement in her tone as she used his title.

"Twenty minutes away, Dir-ect-or," he replied, the same amusement mirrored in his voice.

"Ziva's driving?" she asked, raising one eyebrow slightly.

"Tony won't stop complainin'," Jethro said in answer, and Jenny rolled her eyes, smirking. "How's she doin'?"

"She's hurting. But she's doing well. Doctor thinks it could be a long one," Jenny informed him, waiting for him to relay the information to Tony. "I've got to go back and check on her. Hector will meet you in the waiting area, and I'll trade places with Tony."

"Got it," Jethro said, and they both hung up after a moment of silence that said everything for them. Turning, Jenny headed back into Kate's room, crossing her fingers that they made it to the hospital safely.

Twenty five minutes later there was a knock on the door, and Tony walked in, looking frazzled and pale, but in one piece.

"I am so sorry babe- we were in a dead zone and I didn't get any of your calls and-"

"Tony, it's fine," Kate said, shaking her head and offering out her hand, motioning for him to join her, which he did gladly. "You're here now, and that's all that matters."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," Tony said, and Jenny hid her smile at how genuine his words were. It was reflected in his eyes and his face, and the redhead could visibly see how the truth of his words calmed Kate.

"Glad to see you arrived quickly, Tony," Jenny said, standing. "You're going to do great Kate."

"Thanks Jenny," Kate said, and with a final squeeze to Kate's hand, Jenny left them with a nod and a smile. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too," Tony said, leaning down and pressing his forehead against hers, capturing her lips in a soft kiss that she returned easily. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied softly, looking up at him with gentle brown eyes.

Then a contraction hit and he remembered that she was in labor and he held in the grimace so that Kate wouldn't kill him.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>At 3:19 the next morning, Baby Todd-DiNozzo was born.<p>

There was a moment of apprehensive silence while they waited for her to cry, but after the doctor suctioned off her mouth and nose, she let out a loud cry as she flailed about in the air, and both Tony and Kate let out a sigh of relief.

"It's a girl- congratulations," the doctor told them, and Kate let out a laugh.

"You and your damn DiNozzo gut," she said as she watched the nurses clean their daughter off and wrap her in a blanket. "Go with her, please?"

Tony nodded, and while the doctor finished with Kate, he followed his daughter to the nursery, where they weighed and measured her, and wrapped her back up and placed a soft pink cap on her head. She looked so tiny, with her tan skin and dark hair.

The nurse came and brought him in, where his little baby girl was in a plastic basinet, squirming as she looked at the ceiling lights in interest.

"You can hold her," the nurse said kindly, her light brown eyes flickering with kindness. Her tag read Diana, and Tony couldn't help thinking about how pretty that name was. He and Kate hadn't discussed names that much; they'd been too busy, and the few times they had, they hadn't agreed.

Tony was hesitant to pick up his daughter, but standing next to the basinet, looking at how innocent and adorable she looked, he tucked his nervousness away, and with the help of the nurse, lifted her up and cradled her in his arms.

She was small and warm and soft and Tony fell in love with her in an instant. Her tiny weight felt so right in his arms- the feel of her warmth against his chest felt so perfectly right it made him swallow back tears. She blinked open her eyes and they were a bright hazel, staring back at him, and Tony didn't think he'd ever loved a person as much as he did the tiny human being in his arms.

"Hey baby girl. I'm your dad," he said, running his fingertip down her soft, smooth cheek. The infant gurgled, her eyes looking up at him and one of her little fists waving in the air. "What do you say we go to see your mom?"

After checking with the nurse that he was allowed to, he carried his daughter back to Kate's room, where the brunette was awake and waiting to meet her daughter.

"Oh she's gorgeous," Kate said as Tony placed the baby in her arms, cradling her closer. "Tony she's perfect."

"I know," Tony replied as he sat on the edge of Kate's bed, his arm around her as they gazed at their daughter.

"We haven't really picked out a name yet," Kate said after a few moments, running her pointer finger over their daughter's clenched fist.

"You know, I actually have an idea…"

* * *

><p>Tony brought the team in, and they all clustered around the end of the bed, looking at Kate and the baby.<p>

"Oh she's so cute!" Abby exclaimed, lowering her voice so she didn't startle the infant. "What's her name?"

"Diana Paige Todd-DiNozzo," Kate replied, stroking her daughter's thick, dark hair.

"How did you come up with her name?" Tim asked, and Tony and Kate exchanged a look, smiles touching their faces.

"Diana was her nurse, and Paige was my mom's name," Tony said, shrugging. "And Diana is a pretty name."

"Pretty close to Diane, that's what it is," Jenny said under her breath so that only Jethro could hear, and he sent her a glare, to which she merely rolled her eyes and smirked. "It's a beautiful name, Tony."

"Thanks Jenny," Tony said, and his face was so full of happiness Jenny couldn't help but smile.

"I am happy for you, Tony, Kate," Ziva said, sending him a smile and a nod. "She is beautiful."

"Thank you, Ziva," Tony said, returning her smile.

"Cute kid," Gibbs said, his arms folded and his stance a little stiff, which Tony found weird, but he merely brushed it off and accepted the compliment.

"Thanks boss," he replied, glancing at Kate and Diana again. Then, the baby woke up and began to cry, and everyone said their goodbyes so that the couple could care for their daughter.

After she was fed and changed, she settled back down to sleep, and Tony and Kate gazed at the perfect bundle of joy they'd created.

"She's absolutely perfect," Kate said softly, her fingertip a whisper over her baby's skin.

"She's everything we wanted and more," Tony replied, kissing the side of her head.

"Do you want more?" Kate asked, and Tony laughed gently.

"Not even out of the hospital and you want more," he said, and she elbowed him.

"It's a genuine question, stupid," she replied, and he rubbed where she'd elbowed him, wincing.

"Damn, you've got a hard elbow," he said, and she glared.

"You didn't answer the question, DiNozzo," she said, and he held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright already. And, you know, I don't know. I was thinking, like, three?" he said, shrugging slightly. Her eyes widened slightly before she shook her head, thick brunette strands hitting her cheeks.

"You are not getting three out of me," she replied, and he let out a deep, low laugh that made her stomach warm and her toes tingle.

"Whatever you say, Katie. Whatever you say."

* * *

><p>Eight years later…<p>

"Anthony DiNozzo!"

Tony knew it was never a good thing when his wife yelled his name after the kids were asleep. Eight year old Diana could sleep through anything, but three year old Evan was the lightest sleeper he'd ever met.

Wincing, he made his way up the stairs, finding his wife of five years in the bathroom, caught between looking happy and pissed.

"Yes dear?" he asked, and she glared, holding something in her hand. "How can I help you on this fine Saturday night?"

"You can wipe that stupid grin off your face," Kate said, and he tried to compose his face, but she was so cute when she was mad. "And then you can apologize."

"Oh God. What did I do?" he asked, paling at looking at her with scared eyes. Angering Kate was never a good thing.

"You got me drunk," she answered, and he frowned, confused. Seeing that he needed help, Kate sighed and spoke again. "Remember what we talked about the day Diana was born?"

"Not having sex for six weeks after she was born?" Tony asked, still confused. How did that fit into this conversation?

"No, not that conversation. The one after the team left and Diana had just fallen asleep?" Kate asked, pushing him towards the answer. Tony thought really, really hard, and then the light bulb hit.

"Kate…"

"You're getting a third out of me, DiNozzo."

And then she held up the positive pregnancy test.

-The End-


End file.
